In a divide reminiscent of the divide between proponents of the classic Mac OS and proponents of NeXT, Apple has recently become divided between the Mac/OS X people and music people.
As the iPod and the iTunes Music Store have increased in importance, those in the music lines of business have increased their swagger in exponential proportion, say the member of the Mac/OS X faction.
Those in the music faction indicated that those in Apple’s traditional lines need to recognize the iPod’s importance and be realistic about what now drives the company’s business.
But members of the music faction may be taking things too far, and have even suggested certain recording luminaries take over key pieces of the Mac/OS X line to inject new life.
“I believe Brian Eno would provide a fresh approach to the BSD kernel,” said a source working on the iTunes Music Store who declined to be named.
“And for the hardware design, I’m thinking a Ted Nugent or perhaps Mick Mars of Motley Crue. I believe heavy metal expertise would come in handy when designing the Power Mac G5, for example.”
For their part, the Mac/OS X faction believe their new rivals are obnoxious prima donnas who should be quarantined in a division of their own where they can’t do any harm.
“This is a bunch of crap,” said an engineer working on the iMac line. “I didn’t go through four years of college studying computer hardware engineering to have some jackass in a Coldplay t-shirt lecture me on component architecture.”
CEO Steve Jobs has been asked repeatedly to intervene in this conflict, but has so far preferred to stay on the sidelines, believing a healthy dose of competition is good for performance.
“I also like to screw with them,” Jobs admitted.