I just popped open my Macbook Air to check email and RSS feeds and the first item that caught my eye was a shocker (at least to finally see it in text)… It’s been announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple. After stock market trading ended this afternoon, Steve sent out a message to his board of directors:
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
I’m sure that Tim Cook will make a fine CEO, but I can’t help but be really sad that there’s going to be an Apple without Steve at the helm. Apparently Steve will continue on as Chairman of the Board though… but will Apple ever be the same? What are your thoughts?
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Julie,
I think Apple is going to face some serious challenges. Steve Jobs, like Bill Gates and even Jack Tramiel so many years ago at Commodore was more than an chief executive. He was the visionary and the leader. employees worked to his standard. Vendors and resellers did business with their companies because of their respect, trust and/or fear of the guy. Once a person like that leaves things will change…a huge hole forms. Tim Cook is obviously a very bright guy and seems to really understand operations efficiencies…but that’s not enough. We won’t know whether things will continue to be good for Apple or if things will slide for awhile…but I expect it to be a different company down the road.
Yes… it’s my fault. I purchased my first piece of apple hardware back in 1985 just days before Jobs was fired.
A few days ago, I purchased my second piece of apple hardware…
Can’t be a coincidence…
There are 2 things Tim Cook is known for at this point: offshoring production of Apple’s products to China and not running the company into the ground while Steve was out on medical leave.
We all know Steve is a bright man, and would not leave at this time unless he had to. We also know that he would not recommend Cook unless he knew he had the stuff to run the company.
I look forward to reading his biography in a few months. I wish him well, and I wish Apple well.
He’ll be alright. Will take some time off and come back with some more amazing stuff just like he did with the whole iPad, iPod, and iPhone series.
Ah at last work can recommence on the Newton 🙂
Seriously a sad day for all Apple fans.
Michael
I wonder wether Apple will stay Apple without Steve.
His drive made Apple what it is up to today.
I’m afraid I have to assume that the company will decline just as it did when Jobs was absent before, during the Scully period. My sincere condolences, Apple fans…
It’ll be interesting to see if his successor continues lawsuitpalooza or actually try and compete on apples own merits.
This could either be a good thing, letting apple actually compete against other companies instead of trying to shut them down. Or jobs successor will try and continue to follow in his foot steps and hopefully if he does fall on his face. jobs had the power to control some of the masses, I don’t think his successor will be able to do the same thing. He should bring his own personality to the job instead of trying to rule with an iron fist.
I know I’ll probably get some flack for what I’m saying. I do feel sorry for the guy if it is health related, but he did do some pretty bad things. Of course fanboys will think what he did was fine, but if anyone else did the same thing (Google or Microsoft) those same people would be bashing the CEO from that company. I wish jobs the best but if apple wants to win the hearts of the masses (and not just people that like their products but hate some of the things they do), apple has to change. I think a company can be profitable without joining (or at least not totally) the dark side.
However smart Mr Jobs has been, to have left the company without clear succession managment is an enormous failing and will be an endearing black mark against him.
iSad
I think Apple is going to be fine, at least for the next 5 years or so. Unlike the last time, Steve has had over a decade to re-create Apple and create a management team and corporate culture that will allow them to succeed. In fact, I would say that the greatest product he has made has been the Apple company itself.
@Simon – what are you on about? Tim Cook taking over IS the succession plan, that has been known for a long time!
I think it was a shocker for everyone who follows tech news. Its a new era for apple!
Tech. And gadget news
http://worldwideexpress.wordpress.com
@Thenikjones – if it has been known ‘for a long time’, how come every media outlet questions the future? How come every time Jobs sneezes, the markets run a mile?
I am not a fan of Apple (nor of Msoft either) but after 27 years in telecomms and IT, no other company has been as vulnerable to one person. Surem he’s been an asset but the impressions is that no one has known what the future is. If Cook’s name HAS been in the frame fo so long, I reckon at least one media outlet would have been trumpeting that they knew this all along and giving his story. I don’t see that.
> james August 25, 2011 at 3:30 pm
> It’ll be interesting to see if his successor continues lawsuitpalooza
> or actually try and compete on apples own merits.
{snip}
> I know I’ll probably get some flack for what I’m saying. I do feel
> sorry for the guy if it is health related, but he did do some pretty
> bad things.
I have trouble respecting Jobs because he claimed that he was sterile when he got his girlfriend pregnant in the 1970s (it was a long time ago, but it says a lot about his character). Also he’s a maniacal control freak, is known to often treat people rudely, and has been photographed parking in the handicapped spot at Apple.
However, I admire him for what he has accomplished since returning to Apple, and for improvements made to phones, tablets, music distribution, operating systems, and hardware (that were innovated or spearheaded by Apple).
As far as what he has done related to Apple that is bad, only one thing comes to mind: not approving Google Voice in a timely fashion. That was a clear abuse of the app store approval process that should never have happened. But it’s nothing compared to what Microsoft pulled in the 1990s.
And though I generally dislike lawsuits, I think Apple has a point. Almost all the advanced smartphones and tablets are now thin and light with large capacitive touchscreens, multitouch, a finger input UI, visual voice mail (on the phones), and a webkit-based scalable browser. Apple brought all that to consumer smartphones and tablets.
There is a site where you can leave a message to Steve and wish him luck, tell him a story, or just say goodbye.
It’s http://www.saygoodbyetosteve.com