Fast Company suggests there's a rift inside Apple concerning skeuomorphism.

fastcodesign.com

For me it's about balance and serving the user. Does it add to the experience or take away? Add to the information density or take away? Does it lower user stress or increase it? Does it make the app more accessible or less accessible? More visually interesting or more distracting?

So the question isn't whether skeuomorphism is good or bad, but is Apple currently using it effectively in iOS and OS X?

I love it.

Posted this before:
I was really annoyed by this article (see Cult Of Mac version as well). The only part of the article I liked was the fact that it revealed that Steve Jobs approved the iCal and Game Center designs. That should silent the people who say, "Steve Jobs would never have approved the iCal, Find my Friends, [insert any recent Apple design here]." I believe that this is similar to the brushed metal Apple started in the early 2000s. It is not truly "skeuomorphism." It is just a skin layer over applications to give them a face. Windows 8 has a cold feeling and has an odd personality (do you agree with me on that?). Using familiar items, Apple is making a welcoming interface for its users.
I think Apple is using it effectively.

We all know that a good 50% of the people who walk into the Apple store are switchers or newcomers. Apple wants the learning process to be as simple and as quick as possible. Part of that is making apps look like the things we use everyday. It's why a pen is used as symbol to write, even though we're not using an actual pen.

Sure, some of us may not like it, but in my opinion it helps Apple get products in everyones hands. Not just 18-35 year old men, but 4 year old kids and 90 year old grandparents. Truth is its really only us nerds and geeks who complain. The other 90% or so probably don't mind it at all.

People have complained that it is distracting. I do not think it distracts from the task you want the app to do. Take Contacts: bit.ly. The "skeuomorphism" is present there, but does not detract from the usability of the app. It gives it a face and makes it recognizable. Same with Calendar.
None of it "needs" to be there, but it makes it familiar to the user and they can tell what app it is and the function from the design. Same with iBooks. While the bookshelf is not necessary, it gives it a face, and it gives it a visual presentation. People know the purpose is to read books. A list view would not immediately give that. The reason why toddlers can use iPads is because they look like household objects. Simple as that.

It makes things more enjoyable and more personable in my opinion. As nice and clean as "modern" minimalistic interfaces can be, they get boring pretty fast.

@the_gadgeteur I completely agree with you. After using Windows 8 for a few hours, the flat look just got boring.

Why be so black and white about it? Removing skeuomorphic ornamentation as a design option is the same as throwing out half the tools in your garage. Some of those tools are handy for specific scenarios.

<blockquote>Microsoft took a surprisingly refreshing approach, distancing itself from skeuomorphism while emphasizing a flat user interface that’s minimalist to the core.</blockquote>

I like Microsoft's formally-known-as-Metro design, but how much of their approach was zigging to Apple's zag? How much of it was due to scaling issues with the 140% and 180% pixel densities? I highly doubt Microsoft took that approach entirely because they believe it is the best execution. More likely that it's the best execution, given their circumstances.