Apple antennagate scapegoat scooped up by Cisco

Mark Papermaster, whom Apple had such a hard time wresting from IBM in 2008, and who took much of the flak for the iPhone's dodgy antenna, has moved on to Cisco.

When recruited by Apple in 2008, Papermaster wasn't allowed to work for the first six months while Cupertino fought his corner disputing the non-competitive clause of his contract with IBM. Once at his desk in April 2009, he headed up Apple's mobile computing efforts.

However, less than 18 months later he was out, having found the Apple culture and the ego of its CEO impossible to swallow, the Wall Street Journal explains.

Papermaster had recently copped for much of the fallout for the iPhone 4 antenna kerfuffle, though Apple's claim to have been working on the design for more than two years would seem to absolve him of any significant responsibility. It's very believable that someone used to climbing IBM's slippery pole would have a hard time adjusting to Apple's personality-driven culture.

Cisco may be a happier home for someone comfortable with IBM's style, and as he'll be working in the switches part of the business he should be well clear of wonky antennae and over-inflated egos alike. ®