jobs
Daring Fireball's John Gruber has a nice reaction piece to the news that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple. Jobs' resignation wasn't completely unexpected given his medical leave of absence, though it still comes as a surprise. Gruber suggests this is just the latest in a long planned transition:

The company itself is Apple-like. The same thought, care, and painstaking attention to detail that Steve Jobs brought to questions like “How should a computer work?”, “How should a phone work?”, “How should we buy music and apps in the digital age?” he also brought to the most important question: “How should a company that creates such things function?”

Jobs’s greatest creation isn’t any Apple product. It is Apple itself.

It was previously reported that Jobs had hired Yale School of Management Joel Podolny to help prepare for life after Jobs.

Steve Jobs hired dean of Yale School of Management Joel Podolny to run the Apple University, an internal group also featuring business professors and Harvard veterans that are writing a series of case studies to prepare employees for the life at Apple after Jobs. These case studies focus on Apples recent business decisions and internal culture, they are exclusive to employees and taught by top executives like Tim Cook and Ron Johnson.

Tim Cook is now CEO of Apple at the recommendation of Jobs.

Top Rated Comments

illegalprelude Avatar
158 months ago
I'd have to say I agree. Steve trippled Apple's stock at a time when businesses are going under like it ain't nobodies business. His genius is in his business savvy and his increidible ability to make myself and other lust after over-price gadgets!:apple:

If the products are over priced, how come nobody could ever touch the iPods and iPads and even the iPhone in price? :rolleyes:

It's because Steve didn't create products, he created extensions of yourself in a digital form. Your Toshiba laptop is a throwaway but people care about their MacBooks. An iPhone is a device that changes a lot of people's life style and how they game and do business. A Droid is just your next phone. Steve Jobs is a true visionary.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
158 months ago
Mr. Gruber's comments about the fractal design of Apple are decisive and thought-provoking. In healthy structure, actions in the small always reflect the actions of the large. Apple is not seen at any one level; it is seen at all levels.

Brilliant.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tilpots Avatar
158 months ago
:confused::confused:

Don't act this way. Everyone here gets a Macbook/iPad/iPhone/iPod and replaces it all the time. Every consumer item is a throw away item. Don't be jaded.

Apple has created a value and devotion for their products rarely, if ever, seen in modern consumers. The products aren't "forever" pieces, but the brand loyalty seems to be. That's value, that's rare, and it's unlike other consumer tech products of today.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
158 months ago
Is really quite unique....I have never known a CEO who has been so inextricably linked withe the creative model of the business he has so successfully run.

Thomas J Watson of IBM may be a likely candidate. Just ignore that stuff that he did with "knockout boxes" at NCR.

He doesn't make claims that their products are "Magical" since he believes in science and facts.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

--Arthur C. Clarke
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robertneville77 Avatar
158 months ago
:confused::confused:

Don't act this way. Everyone here gets a Macbook/iPad/iPhone/iPod and replaces it all the time. Every consumer item is a throw away item. Don't be jaded.

I have to disagree. If I saw a PC being thrown away, I probably wouldn't even think twice. But if I saw a Mac, even an old beige one, being thrown away, something inside of me would die.

Heck, I saved an old Power Mac 7500 from being thrown away. Works like a champ.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SandynJosh Avatar
158 months ago
History reveals many men have achieved greatness as a CEO. The reason Jobs stands out in recent times, is due to the high profile nature of technology, his unique brand of narcissism, the cult like following he created by emulating Jerry Garcia, and Americans obsession with money.
The statement about Mr. Cook is somewhat inaccurate. If one checks into his vast accomplishments at Apple, what stands out more as the difference between Tim & Steve is what Tim has not done.

He has not taken to bragging & stretching the truth. He doesn't make claims that their products are "Magical" since he believes in science and facts. The list of his strengths goes on and on. Adequate he's not, Tim Cook is simply brilliant, well adjusted, measured and all business.

As a huge volume shareholder, Tim Cook brings me great confidence.

How you describe Tim Cook scares me. Steve was a dreamer and a risk taker and willing to take Apple to where no bean counter could see possible. Who is going to challenge Apple to be as bold as Steve has done? If apple is going to coast safely into the future, it will lose the vitality and daring it now has. Steve had the ability to generate a reality distortion field around himself and then make that reality real. Apple also needs a charismatic spokesperson to articulate the company product message a la Steve Jobs.

I think Tim will do a great job as CEO, but Steve will need to be replaced with more then one person when it's all said and done.

And P.S. the iPad is "magical," it's not bragging & stretching the truth to say so.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...