Chalk me up then as the only other person who likes the corinthian leather and green baize. Sure it was totally random and a bit ridiculous, but at least you never got confused whether you were in Maps or Find Friends.

In the past I managed a few remote Windows Servers, and to keep from confusing them, I gave each a unique desktop background colour (a pleasant pastel shade) for no reason other than to keep them visually distinct.

Taste is a different argument to your point (distinction). None the less, it is an extremely valid one. The point I'm making is that Jobs allowed some globally 'interesting' design decisions through, the 'skeuomorphic' textures being a example.

I thought he was meant to be a vegan, surely he wouldn't have endorsed the leather - and if he'd be a 'proper' vegan not a leather effect either!