Jony Ives taking the "Steve Jobs" role at Apple

[famousringo]

kowenicki said:
Inevitable. Apple of today is what it is more because of Ive than Jobs IMO.

I don't agree.

It's true that hardware design is often underrated. But then I look at the challenge of integrating NeXT into Mac OS to create a desktop environment that could actually grow in the face of perhaps the most powerful technology monopoly in history. And I look at the difficult negotiations with content owners who are still terrified of any change in their business model that led to Apple being one of the most powerful content retailers in the world. And I look at the challenge of scaling that Mac OS X platform down so it can run on a 400 MHz ARM CPU with 128MB of RAM. Also the challenge of creating a whole new paradigm in user interaction. And finally the challenge of keeping projects secret, and on-budget, and making sure production ramps up smoothly and inventory doesn't pile up. None of these tasks fell to Ive.

Now Ive looks like what he is: One very capable executive on a team of very capable executives. You take any of the links out of that chain and you're going to have a very different Apple.