The New Yorker:
Apple may, in fact, clear up some of the mess and present a simpler solution, but its struggles in the delivery of music are merely a symptom of a deeper problem: how to provide Internet services. Just this week, Apple introduced a smaller visual refresh to the iTunes software, and almost immediately complaints arose about that change, too. As I pointed out when Apple acquired Beats Audio for $3.2 billion, two years ago, the company’s corporate genes are not encoded for exploiting the cloud and user data, which is, like it or not, the realm in which it now competes.
From the user point of view, Apple’s attempts at these kinds of services can be very frustrating. But there may be a deeper, “corporate DNA” reason for the issues Apple has.
The answer is very simple. Jony Ive (in cohorts with Jobs in the past) make final decisions about product design. But who’s the strong voice in the UX when it comes to services? That’s what Apple needs – the counterpart to Ive in UX.
Fruit company seeks Ive-compatible Forstall.