????蒂姆?庫克在蘋果的蜜月期已經結束了。

????這位蘋果（Apple）的首席執行官宣布了負責移動產品軟件開發的主管斯科特?福斯托的離職。與此同時，他還解雇了約翰?布勞伊特。后者來自英國的電子零售集團Dixons，在蘋果已經工作了八個月。隨著其他高管分攤福斯托原有的職責，這次變動成為了自史蒂夫?喬布斯1997年接替吉爾?阿梅里奧之后最大規模的一次管理層改組。

????確實，颶風“桑迪”登陸美國東海岸的同時，一場愈演愈烈的風暴也在席卷蘋果。這么說吧，雖然從市值上看，蘋果已是世界第一，公司最近幾個月的表現卻難稱完美。那些看起來并不起眼、互無關聯的錯誤一點點發生，已經累積到公司必須采取行動的時候了。我們且來看看下面這些問題：

????* 蘋果的表現已經連續兩個季度沒有達到華爾街的預期。從金融角度而言，這兩次“不達標”都不是什么大事。但心懷大志的蘋果一定會盡力而為。

????* 蘋果在中國的銷售業務拓展緩慢。布勞伊特跟他的員工斤斤計較。而蘋果的觀察家也撓頭納悶：一個電子產品折扣店的主管，怎么會是運營該行業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，我們討論的是蘋果，不是微軟（Microsoft）或者谷歌（Google）。只有那些公司才喜歡發布測試版的軟件。

????* 廣告專家批評蘋果在奧運期間播放的廣告不僅索然無味，還輕視用戶。三星（Samsung）隨即制作了幽默的廣告來諷刺蘋果。怎么弄成這樣了呢？

????* 再說說蘋果地圖（Apple Maps）。這真是一個糟糕透頂的產品，蘋果甚至必須為此道歉。為了向蘋果著名的簡潔風格致敬，本文就此打住，不再贅述。

????據傳聞，福斯托和設計師喬納森?艾夫爵士不和，而后者在這場斗爭中獲勝。蘋果在本周一任命其為所有“人機界面”的主管，這意味著他以后將同時負責硬件和軟件的設計。設計愛好者討厭蘋果Passbook推出的“碎紙機”功能。艾夫作為極簡藝術的粉絲，想必也很討厭它。等著吧，倒要看看蘋果打算如何取消這項功能。

????我還聽說，福斯托拒絕在搞砸地圖應用的道歉信上簽字，結果注定了他在蘋果的命運。（他在職業生涯中曾為兩家公司工作，這兩家公司都由喬布斯建立：Next和蘋果。他還是舊金山巨人隊的狂熱粉絲。有贏家就有輸家吧。）福斯托是Siri和地圖服務的主管，而公眾對這兩項應用普遍不滿。我們知道至少蘋果的企業文化沒有變：福斯托是這兩項業務的直接負責人。現在他走了。蘋果在盤后發布新聞，稱他一直到明年都會繼續擔任庫克的顧問。這不過是阻止福斯托馬上聯系三星公司（Samsung）的一個形式罷了。

????另一個變化同樣重要。Mac軟件的主管克雷格?費德里希目前接替了移動產品的軟件業務。眾所周知，福斯托在蘋果備受爭議，這意味著他忠心耿耿的團隊已經開始為他人效力了。蘋果把Siri和地圖這兩項飽受詬病的服務交給了互聯網服務部門的總裁艾迪?庫，他在蘋果公司常年擔任“救火員”。（他曾負責蘋果糟糕的應用MobileMe的善后工作，并最終撤掉了這項服務。）最后，蘋果邀請留任的鮑勃?曼斯菲爾德負責技術開發，尤其是無線技術。這并不是說所有經驗豐富的高管要退休時，庫克都不會同意，只是這個關鍵職位對公司未來的戰略方向至關重要，庫克只能這么做。

????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.