back to article Apple designer Sir Jony Ive holding up iOS 7 development: Report

Visionary designer Sir Jonathan Ive’s perfectionism could be holding back the development of the latest version of the software used on iPads and iPhones, according to a recent report. Famed as the head of Cupertino’s industrial design division, the knighted Essex lad was recently handed control of software design in a …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "People familiar with the matter...."

    Are they the same people who newspapers quote as "our source says", or "a friend who did not wished to be named said". I.e it's something a journo made up because nobody would talk to them.

    1. GBL Initialiser

      Re: "People familiar with the matter...."

      I generally read it as "This is where we got the info from, you're a big boy who can make up your own mind so we decided to tell you about it rather than pretend nobody said anything."

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "People familiar with the matter...."

      Microsoft should have done the same thing with their phone software and the Surface. They could learn a lot from this guy.

  2. DAN*tastik
    Unhappy

    I feel for them

    Those differently rounded corner icons won't just redesign themselves, and it's not something they can copy from Braun's 1960s appliances!

  3. Turtle

    Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

    "Famed as the head of Cupertino’s product design devision, the recently knighted Ive was recently handed control of software design in a surprise move by CEO Tim Cook."

    This is exactly the kind of situation in which The Peter Principle manifests itself.

    1. asdf

      Re: Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

      Who Ive or Tim Cook? In my opinion its more obvious Cook is in over his head. The only thing he seems to share in common with Jobs is being an arrogant douche bag. The talent is not there.

      1. Turtle

        @asdf Re: Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

        "Ive or Tim Cook?"

        I was actually referring to Ive but now that you mention it, it might very well also apply to Cook. So that's a very good point right there. On the other hand, Jobs' position in Apple was kind of specifically tailored to Jobs and so anyone who took the job was going to be a poor fit at best. But it was necessary for someone to take his place - and Cook it was. Still, whether Cook is cut out to be any kind of CEO at all is a good question and time will tell.

        But giving Jon Ive his new, expanded responsibilities does not seem to have been done as a result of the same type of iron necessity that forced the advancement of someone - anyone! - into the role formerly played by Jobs. So while the Peter Principle would apply in Ive's case, it might not really fit the "somebody had to replace Jobs and it might as well as have been Cook as anybody else" situation.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @asdf Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

          Say the guys slagging off complete strangers of a trashy tabloid IT website. Class act, the pair of you.

          1. asdf
            FAIL

            Re: @asdf Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

            Hey at least we are willing to show our post history. What does that say about you also visiting this trashy tabloid IT website AC? El Reg has its flaws (cough LP human climate change denial propaganda, AO raging on freetards) but compared to the corporate PR release rehash site that is ZDNet etc its at least amusing.

          2. Turtle

            Re: @asdf Exacty The Kind Of Situation...

            "Say the guys slagging off complete strangers of a trashy tabloid IT website. Class act, the pair of you."

            Don't worry your little head about it. Jony and Timmy are big boys now; they can take it. Didn't your mommy ever tell you "sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you"?

            If she didn't, then she was a negligent mother. And it shows...

  4. Piro Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Fine.

    I'm sure he'll come up with a clean and tasteful overhaul, I'm no Apple fan, but iOS 7 may prove to be interesting.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fine.

      Indeed. Fandroids can be dismissive but anything Apple does tends to get imitated by others.

      1. David Barrett

        Re: Fine.

        "Indeed. Fandroids can be dismissive but anything Apple does tends to get imitated by others."

        yeah, anything.... Maps? *cough*

        1. Oninoshiko
          Devil

          Re: Fine.

          Yes! Google is still working to catch up to the level of bugs in their map product!

          Seriously though, I am glad no one else thought the horrid idea of decoupling the menu from the window was a good idea.

      2. Craigness

        Re: Fine.

        Imitated by others? Flat design is already in Windows, Android and in Google's websites. Galaxy S4 already has 3d gestures. Apple has been playing catch up for a few years now.

      3. imaginarynumber

        Re: Fine.

        Indeed it is probably fair to assert that others (of late) copy the look'n'feel of apple. In and of itself, it does not follow that Apple's approach is better, perhaps it is just an indicator of the fact that the press (present organ excluded) wet their pants whenever apple release or copy something else If apple were original I might sympathise with the tone of your comment but to date all I see is apple claiming to have invented something and the press reporting it as fact without bothering (read:wanting) to double check

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fine.

      Well, as email, photo and wifi don't work properly on Apple devices, maybe he's doing the right thing!

  5. Paul Shirley

    skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

    More abstracted graphical elements are potentially much easier to get trademark or design patent protection for. Skeuomorphic designs by definition have obvious precedent from real life.

    If the company that design patented 'rounded corners' abstracts it's UI design its a near certainty they will do the same to every possible individual element of iOS7.

    Just what the world needs, balkanised UIs all the way down to individual icons, graphical flourishes and basic control elements. I already struggle to remember WTF each Google icon means, having icons with shared meaning across all OS and GUI combinations would be a bloody good idea. Even better if it was an obvious meaning to most of us... a bit like skeuomorphic!

    1. Dave 126

      Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

      > I already struggle to remember WTF each Google icon means,

      Too true... There is a Picasa icon and a Chome icon pinned to my start bar, and sometimes I click the wrong one. They are both multi-coloured circles!

      They have a passing resemblance to the 'Consignia' logo, that was around during the ill-fated Post Office rebranding exercise. Private Eye had a section in which they showed a dozen existing logos that looked more or less identical.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge

        Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

        Yes, Private Eye's "logowatch" feature.

        Oddly they never once mentioned the ancestor of all the "swirling down the plughole" logos, British Leyland....

    2. jai

      Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

      the anti-skeumorphic brigade seem to have had very loud voices for the last year or so. it seems to have been a bandwagon that many have jumped on, probably just to get clickthroughs to their blog. i wonder how many of the same will be decrying the minimalist look not 5 minutes after it is shown?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

      The point is by making everything look realistic you lower their contrast and you also reduce the amount of possible appearances.

      By making icons more abstract and allowed to have more variation you can improve their clarity. The original icons were simple pictures that were much easer to understand in some cases.

      Just imagine how rubbish everything would look if we only used typewriter style fonts (which is a representation of a physical print).

      1. El Andy

        Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

        More importantly, by using skeuomorphic designs you constrain yourself by the limitations of the physical design you're aping. Digital systems are capable of much richer interaction but you need to break free of old metaphors in order to take proper advantage.

        1. TeeCee Gold badge

          Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

          Digital systems are capable of much richer interaction but you need to break free of old metaphors....

          You are Steve Bong and ICMFP!

        2. jai

          Re: skeuomorphic has 1 big advantage

          "Digital systems are capable of much richer interaction"

          They are - but all the great examples of anti-skeuomorphic apps recently have just had bland and unintuitive interfaces.

          the systems are capable, but the designers of the systems apparently aren't

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Does it has to be because of internal warfare?

    iOS 7 will be late because it has the future of Apple riding on it.

    Even the fanbois must admit that the rate of innovation --real, wow!-moment innovation-- has slowed to a crawl in the smartphone market. iOS 7 must innovate in UI design and more importantly provide adequate hooks for the next generation of iDevices, with whatever they come with. The stakes are tremendous.

    If anyone needs another reminder, recall that Apple just issued billions of dollars worth of debt with 30 year terms. They are essentially claiming that they can stay relevant and profitable for several technology lifetimes. One hell of a bet.

    If iOS7 shows up with a significant flaw, Cook is gone.

    1. Dave 126

      Re: Does it has to be because of internal warfare?

      >If anyone needs another reminder, recall that Apple just issued billions of dollars worth of debt with 30 year terms. They are essentially claiming that they can stay relevant and profitable for several technology lifetimes.

      According to the financial papers, that is because most of their cash is outside the US, and bonds are the most tax-efficient way of returning $100 billion to share-holders.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Does it has to be because of internal warfare?

        > According to the financial papers, that is because most of their cash is outside the US, and bonds are the most tax-efficient way of returning $100 billion to share-holders.

        Sure, but you're still assuming that they have that pile of cash in 30 years time when the bonds vest. Still a gamble.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does it has to be because of internal warfare?

      "Cook is gone"

      I had to re-read that.

    3. Tom 35

      iOS 7 must innovate in UI design

      Innovate tends to be kind of a bullshit bingo word.

      Make iOS 7 different? Not too hard.

      Make it different & better? That's not so easy.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: iOS 7 must innovate in UI design

        Apple has a history of better and different. Their GUI and interface guidelines are well thought out and often used by the open source world (jQuery for example) when producing specifications for interface work.

  7. Select * From Handle

    I am no apple fan

    But "Visionary designer Sir Jonathan Ive’s perfectionism could be holding back the development of the latest version of the software used on iPads and iPhones, according to a recent report." i do believe in releasing software when its ready. The new iOS will be interesting but with all software and games, if you leave punters waiting saying "this is going to be awesome" when it comes to the release day and the software falls short of perfection. Punters will look elsewhere, take Diablo 3 for example 10 years or so development 4-5 years of pre release hype, the biggest backlash from customers in the gaming industry. iOS 7 will be very interesting.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    to see if Apple can keep its place at the top of the tech tree.

    Apple lost that several years ago.. Every since the 6 monthly iPhone refresh that offered nothing new that wasn't already in Android.

    I smell another Apple Maps, so going to be stocking up on LOTS of popcorn before WDC, where you can bet much of the talk will again be dissing Android rather than talking about what Apple have to offer...

    1. Andrew James

      Re: to see if Apple can keep its place at the top of the tech tree.

      When was the last time a new iphone was released 6 months after the previous?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: to see if Apple can keep its place at the top of the tech tree.

      Ahh Barry Shitpeas, the 'Eadon' of the Anti Apple world.

      1. RyokuMas
        Coat

        Re: to see if Apple can keep its place at the top of the tech tree.

        Nah, he does the same with Microsoft stuff too. And only every once in a while, rather than every single possible post.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: to see if Apple can keep its place at the top of the tech tree.

          And at least he uses his real name, unlike Eadon.

  9. Jon Green
    Thumb Up

    Good.

    Apple doesn't need another cock-up like the iOS 6 / Apple Maps débacle. Having someone who actually cares about creating good product, even if it takes a little while longer, in the driving seat is a good thing.

    With hardware production, you have to pre-purchase components, reserve whole factories in advance, tool the casework machines, configure hardware pick-and-place component assemblers and gear up a production line. Delays cost fortunes, because the factory will still be charging you for the time the plant isn't making money elsewhere. If software is a little late, it's a lot less expensive. Production lines are much more generic and can be working on other products until the "gold master" is ready to press. If you're delivering electronically - which is far cheaper still - delays cost nearly nothing. Essentially, the costs of software delay are mainly deferred revenues.

    Well done, Jony - seriously. Make it a good 'un, and let's see what Apple can do when its innovators are given the chance.

  10. zooooooom

    So.... Apple criticised for not producing anything new and worthwhile, the chaps being panned for not getting something out on the previous schedule. nice.

  11. Bill the Sys Admin
    Meh

    Laptops and Notebooks

    They will always be king of the laptop/notebook world for me until a manufacture can make a decent laptop! High res screens everywhere, on phones, tablets, and everything else and the only people who put one on a laptop are apple! Its not rocket science. Samsung and likes need to get the finger out!

    1. GregC

      Depending on your definition of laptop...

      Google have the Pixel Chromebook, very nice hi res display by all accounts.

      I agree though, the regular notebook makers need to get their finger out and produce some machines with up to date screens.

      1. Bill the Sys Admin

        Re: Depending on your definition of laptop...

        No doubt about that, but I want to run Linux or Unix based OS. The pixel looks great just problem is it runs Chrome OS. Don't see that being ideal for me. Plus I reckon the Pixel is priced way to high.

    2. imaginarynumber

      Re: Laptops and Notebooks

      Pixel Chromebook aside, I concede that MBPs have the highest resolution screens but that has only been the case since summer last year. Prior to that the MBPs had relatively low resolution and poor graphics.

      To suggest that any given firm has the "best" anything all of the time is silly. When I got my Vaio Z11 in March 2000 it blew the 13" MBP out of the water (and continued to do so for 2 years).

      1. Bill the Sys Admin

        Re: Laptops and Notebooks

        Well I don’t understand how they have poor graphics? My Macbook Pro has 512MB ATI card in it. Very good graphics card by all accounts. Plays games on the native resolution on the 1440x900, the screen is also of higher quality to many of the manufactures that churn out windows PC's. Quite aggressive MATE screen but still nice.

        Im not debating that 13 years ago your laptop was better! Im talking about now. God back then I was only 10 years old! The fact is right now I don’t think there is a machine that rivals the build quality or the screens on the Macbook line. They really are great notebooks.

        1. imaginarynumber

          Re: Laptops and Notebooks

          Sorry Bill, a typo on my behalf, I intended to say back in 2010 and not 2000.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Article

    "Basically, the little ‘i’ in all these products might as well stand for Ive."

    Apple's fascination with the letter "i" started when Steve Jobs returned back to Apple. He was given the title iCEO :) The "i" stood for "interim".

    1. Dave 126

      The 'i' in 'iMac' wasn't Jobs' idea, and he was initially opposed to it.

  13. JDX Gold badge

    That bloody bookshelf

    please do kill it

    1. Ben Holmes
      Unhappy

      Re: That bloody bookshelf

      Or, you know, let ME kill it.

      I wouldn't even mind if it it reappeared after each OS update, as long as I could delete it. Same with the 'default' apps iOS ships with these days which you can't get rid of.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    All aboard the hype train. First stop WDC...

    Using emotive bullshit like "Visionary designer Sir Jonathan Ive’s perfectionism" is just trying to convince iTards that Apple have a new Steve Jobs.

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