????蒂姆?庫(kù)克在蘋(píng)果的蜜月期已經(jīng)結(jié)束了。

????這位蘋(píng)果（Apple）的首席執(zhí)行官宣布了負(fù)責(zé)移動(dòng)產(chǎn)品軟件開(kāi)發(fā)的主管斯科特?福斯托的離職,。與此同時(shí),，他還解雇了約翰?布勞伊特。后者來(lái)自英國(guó)的電子零售集團(tuán)Dixons,，在蘋(píng)果已經(jīng)工作了八個(gè)月,。隨著其他高管分?jǐn)偢Ｋ雇性械穆氊?zé)，這次變動(dòng)成為了自史蒂夫?喬布斯1997年接替吉爾?阿梅里奧之后最大規(guī)模的一次管理層改組,。

????確實(shí),，颶風(fēng)“桑迪”登陸美國(guó)東海岸的同時(shí),，一場(chǎng)愈演愈烈的風(fēng)暴也在席卷蘋(píng)果,。這么說(shuō)吧，雖然從市值上看,，蘋(píng)果已是世界第一,，公司最近幾個(gè)月的表現(xiàn)卻難稱(chēng)完美。那些看起來(lái)并不起眼,、互無(wú)關(guān)聯(lián)的錯(cuò)誤一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)發(fā)生,，已經(jīng)累積到公司必須采取行動(dòng)的時(shí)候了,。我們且來(lái)看看下面這些問(wèn)題：

????* 蘋(píng)果的表現(xiàn)已經(jīng)連續(xù)兩個(gè)季度沒(méi)有達(dá)到華爾街的預(yù)期。從金融角度而言,，這兩次“不達(dá)標(biāo)”都不是什么大事,。但心懷大志的蘋(píng)果一定會(huì)盡力而為,。

????* 蘋(píng)果在中國(guó)的銷(xiāo)售業(yè)務(wù)拓展緩慢,。布勞伊特跟他的員工斤斤計(jì)較。而蘋(píng)果的觀察家也撓頭納悶：一個(gè)電子產(chǎn)品折扣店的主管,，怎么會(huì)是運(yùn)營(yíng)該行業(yè)最大名牌公司的合適人選呢,？顯然他不是,。

????* 史蒂夫?喬布斯逝世前一天推出的Siri服務(wù)并不夠好，雖然也談不上糟糕,。但是這里要再次聲明,，我們討論的是蘋(píng)果，不是微軟（Microsoft）或者谷歌（Google）,。只有那些公司才喜歡發(fā)布測(cè)試版的軟件,。

????* 廣告專(zhuān)家批評(píng)蘋(píng)果在奧運(yùn)期間播放的廣告不僅索然無(wú)味，還輕視用戶(hù),。三星（Samsung）隨即制作了幽默的廣告來(lái)諷刺蘋(píng)果,。怎么弄成這樣了呢？

????* 再說(shuō)說(shuō)蘋(píng)果地圖（Apple Maps）,。這真是一個(gè)糟糕透頂?shù)漠a(chǎn)品,，蘋(píng)果甚至必須為此道歉。為了向蘋(píng)果著名的簡(jiǎn)潔風(fēng)格致敬,，本文就此打住,，不再贅述。

????據(jù)傳聞,，福斯托和設(shè)計(jì)師喬納森?艾夫爵士不和,，而后者在這場(chǎng)斗爭(zhēng)中獲勝。蘋(píng)果在本周一任命其為所有“人機(jī)界面”的主管,，這意味著他以后將同時(shí)負(fù)責(zé)硬件和軟件的設(shè)計(jì),。設(shè)計(jì)愛(ài)好者討厭蘋(píng)果Passbook推出的“碎紙機(jī)”功能。艾夫作為極簡(jiǎn)藝術(shù)的粉絲,，想必也很討厭它,。等著吧，倒要看看蘋(píng)果打算如何取消這項(xiàng)功能,。

????我還聽(tīng)說(shuō),，福斯托拒絕在搞砸地圖應(yīng)用的道歉信上簽字，結(jié)果注定了他在蘋(píng)果的命運(yùn),。（他在職業(yè)生涯中曾為兩家公司工作,，這兩家公司都由喬布斯建立：Next和蘋(píng)果。他還是舊金山巨人隊(duì)的狂熱粉絲,。有贏家就有輸家吧,。）福斯托是Siri和地圖服務(wù)的主管，而公眾對(duì)這兩項(xiàng)應(yīng)用普遍不滿(mǎn),。我們知道至少蘋(píng)果的企業(yè)文化沒(méi)有變：福斯托是這兩項(xiàng)業(yè)務(wù)的直接負(fù)責(zé)人?，F(xiàn)在他走了。蘋(píng)果在盤(pán)后發(fā)布新聞,，稱(chēng)他一直到明年都會(huì)繼續(xù)擔(dān)任庫(kù)克的顧問(wèn),。這不過(guò)是阻止福斯托馬上聯(lián)系三星公司（Samsung）的一個(gè)形式罷了。

????另一個(gè)變化同樣重要,。Mac軟件的主管克雷格?費(fèi)德里希目前接替了移動(dòng)產(chǎn)品的軟件業(yè)務(wù),。眾所周知,，福斯托在蘋(píng)果備受爭(zhēng)議，這意味著他忠心耿耿的團(tuán)隊(duì)已經(jīng)開(kāi)始為他人效力了,。蘋(píng)果把Siri和地圖這兩項(xiàng)飽受詬病的服務(wù)交給了互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務(wù)部門(mén)的總裁艾迪?庫(kù),，他在蘋(píng)果公司常年擔(dān)任“救火員”。（他曾負(fù)責(zé)蘋(píng)果糟糕的應(yīng)用MobileMe的善后工作,，并最終撤掉了這項(xiàng)服務(wù),。）最后，蘋(píng)果邀請(qǐng)留任的鮑勃?曼斯菲爾德負(fù)責(zé)技術(shù)開(kāi)發(fā),，尤其是無(wú)線(xiàn)技術(shù),。這并不是說(shuō)所有經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的高管要退休時(shí)，庫(kù)克都不會(huì)同意,，只是這個(gè)關(guān)鍵職位對(duì)公司未來(lái)的戰(zhàn)略方向至關(guān)重要,，庫(kù)克只能這么做。

????Tim Cook's honeymoon at Apple is over.

????Apple's (AAPL) CEO announced the departure of mobile software chief Scott Forstall on Monday. He also booted retail chief John Browett, who lasted all of eight months after having been hired from the U.K. retailer Dixons. The moves, together with the divvying up of Forstall's responsibilities among four other executives, constitute the biggest management shakeup at Apple since the Steve Jobs putsch that eliminated Gil Amelio in 1997.

????Indeed, as Hurricane Sandy barreled toward the East Coast, a worsening storm embroiled Apple too. Suffice it to say that even as Apple's stock-market valuation has made the company the biggest in the world, these past few months haven't been Apple's finest. Little by little, mistakes that, taken in isolation, might have seemed trivial have added up to represent a company that needs to get its act together. Consider:

????* Apple has missed Wall Street's expectations for two consecutive quarters. Neither "miss" was meaningful from a financial perspective. But Apple exceeds. It doesn't underperform.

????* Apple has been slow to expand its retail presence in China. Browett also tried to nickel-and-dime his employees. Apple observers scratched their heads as to why the chief of an electronics discounter was the right guy to run the Tiffany's of the device world. Apparently he wasn't.

????* Siri, the service introduced the day before Steve Jobs died, just wasn't that good. It wasn't terrible either. But again, we're talking about Apple here, not Microsoft (MSFT) or even Google (GOOG), which has a habit of releasing software in beta.

????* Advertising mavens criticized ads that Apple ran during the Olympics for being unfunny and for belittling Apple's own customers. Then Samsung created legitimately humorous spots that lampooned Apple. What's wrong with this picture?

????* Then came maps. A profoundly bad product. So bad that Apple had to apologize for them. As an ode to Apple's famous simplicity, nothing more really needs to be said on the subject.

????It is being said that Forstall didn't get along with Jony Ive. The knighted designer won that battle. Apple named him the chief of all "human interface" on Monday. Reading between the lines, that means software in addition to hardware. Design lovers hated the paper "shredder" that Apple introduced with its Passbook product. Ive, a fan of minimalism, must have hated it too. Watch for Apple to kill it.

????I also heard that Forstall refused to sign the letter apologizing for the mapping fiasco, sealing his fate at Apple. (He has worked for two companies in his career, both founded by Steve Jobs: Next and Apple. He's also a big San Francisco Giants fan. Win some, lose some.) Seeing as Forstall oversaw and publicly demoed Siri and maps, we know at least that the Apple culture is intact: Forstall was the directly responsible individual, or DRI, on Siri and maps. Now he is gone. He will remain an advisor to Cook until "next year," Apple said in a post-market news release. This is a formality intended to keep Forstall from ringing up Samsung.

????The other changes are just as significant. Craig Federighi, the head of Mac software, takes over mobile software as well. Forstall was known to be a polarizing figure at Apple, meaning that his loyal team now reports to someone else. Apple assigned Siri and maps -- the two black eyes -- to Eddy Cue, head of online services and long Apple's Mr. Fix-it. (He cleaned up and eventually killed MobileMe too.) Lastly, Apple signaled that the recently unretired Bob Mansfield will oversee technology, notably wireless technology. It does not suggest that Cook's hands are firmly on the steering wheel when a veteran executive announces his retirement, only to be placed in a critical role overseeing initiatives key to the company's future.