Apple says goodbye to design firm that helped develop some Apple products

I thought that English guy Jonathon Hives or something like that (probably got it wrong but the dude who always features on Apple videos when a new product line or upgrade is released) was responsible for the latest Apple design, especially the Aluminum look....? Can't see how these guys can design for Apple and HP, their products look worlds apart, for a start HP products look generic and outdated....

It never ceases to amaze me at the total lack of business acumen/knowledge/nous by some of the people who frequent this blog!!

working for Apple they would have had to sign some confidentiality/exclusivity agreements no doubt. It would seem that surfaceink are going for broke and yes they knew apple would drop them.

I am surprised that Apple actually hire an outside design team because i'd be vey wary of dealing with a big corp like Apple/Microsoft etc.

did they design the iPhone 4 external antennas?

that would make more sense to me: some companies list the reason for dropping a longtime employee who's performance has degraded (say, due to burnout) as "downsized" or "excess-ed" rather than as "released for cause" so the ex-employee can still find work at another company.

without more info, suppositions on both sides are equally valid: Perhaps Apple can more afford to appear "petty", rather than excessively cruel by labeling SurfaceInk as incompetent?

"Apple obviously didn't like one of its partners demonstrating a product that could become a competitive threat, so out the door they went."

Or, they saw the company would promote itself by outing prototypes and not keeping development secrets.

Or, they really were not doing a good job at whatever they were supposed to be doing.

Or, this is just another case of "we really needed to self-promote ourselves with connecting our name to Apple - even if it is negative.

Or, who knows what the other side of the "story" is.

Guessing and reporting ( or just relating ) at the very highest standards available today.

A little research turned up the tablet that keeps Steve stay awake at night
http://besttabletreview.com/surfaceink-12-1-inch-linux-ubuntu-tablet-pc/

Smart move, Steveo. Nobody out there is going to snap up the services of some farging upstart that makes you guys nervous with their tablet proto.

Certainly not after hearing that they helped you with stuff...

I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't have your (now) competitor designing your products for you.

Anything learned out of R&D (paid for by Apple) could be used in Surfaceink's own products and offered for cheaper without those learning costs.

Maybe there's just not much room for them at Apple, anyway. Between Ive's own design team – and them bringing more and more of their prototyping/manufacturing in-house – their factories home and abroad, I don't know if they need to outsource such an integral part of their offering to another company. Especially to a partner with their eyes on your prize.

Plus their website requires Flash.

More pettiness from lunatic Jobs...