Steve Jobs resigns

iMax

Mac Rumours

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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

Wonder how much the shares will fall...

bluemachaveli

Serious nose dive coming I would say.

Engadget have the full press release!

drunkmonkey

Is it down to his health?

Wish I had some money left in my spread betting account, great day for shorting tomorrow.

helimachoptor

I presume it's on going health issues causing this?

jcrowbar

It's been coming for a long time now.

He's nominated Tim Cook as his successor. I think the golden years of Apple are over!

muggyog

Fair play to him. He hung in there longer than I thought he would.

johnayo

New Ceo
....Tim Cook

bluemachaveli

helimachoptor wrote: »

I presume it's on going health issues causing this?

I would think the mentality behind it is him passing the reigns now will do less damage to the stock price than if he died suddenly.

fifth

You would be mad to sell off shares now. He's still chairman on the board and I'm sure he'll have a strong role to play behind Tim Cook.

muggyog

bluemachaveli wrote: »

I would think the mentality behind it is him passing the reigns now will do less damage to the stock price than if he died suddenly.

Very machiavellian!

DjFlin

bluemachaveli wrote: »

I would think the mentality behind it is him passing the reigns now will do less damage to the stock price than if he died suddenly.

Not if they put a spin on it. Like;

Steve died....Pouring all his energy into creating the brand new iThing! In stores now.


I'd buy 8 of those iThings in a flash....

Happyman42

Ming convinced him to run for President! :eek:

Sad Professor

It's a sad day.

Apple's stock is going to take a right beating tomorrow. Cook will do a good job, but nobody will ever fill Jobs's shoes. Love him or hate, he's a legend. He brought Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy 12 years ago and look at where it is today.

conor.hogan.2

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Is it down to his health?

Wish I had some money left in my spread betting account, great day for shorting tomorrow.

This was my third thought (after thinking he had died/is dieing and sad professors thoughts above being the second), great day to make some money as the stock will fall but will rise back up soon enough.

DjFlin

Sad Professor wrote: »

It's a sad day.

Apple's stock is going to take a right beating tomorrow. Cook will do a good job, but nobody will ever fill Jobs's shoes. Love him or hate, he's a legend. He brought Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy 12 years ago and look at where it is today.

In a country with no brakes headed for a brick wall


But for reals. He'll be missed.

conor.hogan.2

Ives and cook and others do more than people think, plus I would imagine the road plan for Apple is pretty much set in stone for the next several years.

That said him leaving will have a bad affect on the company, but not half as bad as people think.

huggs2

isad:(

conor.hogan.2

Stock is down around 5% after hours - thats not as bad as (I) expected.

whiterebel

He'll be sadly missed. Love him or hate him, Jobs is something else.


Cook is a great organiser, but no flair or charisma. Time for Jonny to step up for the keynotes, I think. Unless Woz could be persuaded.....:eek:

cornbb

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Stock is down around 5% after hours - thats not as bad as (I) expected.

Wall Street has known for a very long time that Jobs wouldn't be around for long. It was just a matter of when. The markets will have been ready for this; the expectation will already have been factored into the share price. So I wouldn't expect to see anything other than a blip, really.

Sean Quagmire

whiterebel wrote: »

He'll be sadly missed. Love him or hate him, Jobs is something else.


Cook is a great organiser, but no flair or charisma. Time for Jonny to step up for the keynotes, I think. Unless Woz could be persuaded.....:eek:

As long as Jonny is there my confidence in apple will stay high. I would like him to have more involvement in key notes. I don't think Tim Cook and Bob Mansfield have the flair to carry and exciting product launch.

It's sad to see I hope his health doesn't seriously decline any time soon, the man is a hero.

conor.hogan.2

cornbb wrote: »

Wall Street has known for a very long time that Jobs wouldn't be around for long. It was just a matter of when. The markets will have been ready for this; the expectation will already have been factored into the share price. So I wouldn't expect to see anything other than a blip, really.

I dont know anything about the stock market, but it seems you are right (so far anyway) and every media I have read is wildly wrong.

Snowie

hey it is sad alright but Tim cook did a lot for apple to he got there profit marjins up bye closing down factorys in places etc... so he maybe a bit of a tight ass but one never knows... apple have been peaking for some time they can't stay at the top for ever...

As a brand they may fall but its controlable... to a degree theyve got a new line coming out it seems some what planned....

for some time...

silvine

People are talking like he's dead. He's might not be CEO anymore but he's still the Chairman of the Board and will have a role in Apple and how its technologies develop. When a company is that size you have to question how much of an impact one person has on the day to day operations anyway.

Freddie59

silvine wrote: »

People are talking like he's dead. He's might not be CEO anymore but he's still the Chairman of the Board and will have a role in Apple and how its technologies develop. When a company is that size you have to question how much of an impact one person has on the day to day operations anyway.

In all fairness, he is not just 'one person'. He is a driving force, innovative beyond compare, with a dynamism that will be very difficult (if not impossible) to replace.

Sad Professor

He can't be replaced. And I wouldn't look to Ives or Cook or anyone with that expectation. But hopefully enough of his vision has been absorbed by the company over the last decade and a half to ensure Apple's future. I'm not that worried about Apple tbh, at least not in the short term. Even before Jobs came back they were a great computer company, albeit one floundering under poor leadership. My first Mac was made pre-Jobs's return and it is the reason I'm using Macs today. I'm mostly sad for Steve. And for Apple, as already said, it's an end of an era.

miralize

No one person can replace Jobs, but there are a multitude of individuals that can take up Job's roles seperately

Interesting infographic about an internal university at Apple, that trains employee's to think like Steve Jobs

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/07/18/whats-inside-apple-university/

Sad Professor

Gruber posted this a while ago. It's the closing keynote Jobs did at WWDC in 1997. This was shortly after his return to Apple and a couple of years before he became permanent CEO. He was officially still an advisor at the time. It's a very long but interesting watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LEXae1j6EY

ZENER

Having lost a very good friend to Pancreatic Cancer in a very short space of time (>6 months from diagnosis) I can understand his reasons, he's living on borrowed time right now and probably feeling there are many things he has left to do before he passes.

He's had several years dealing with this ailment I reckon he realises how lucky he is to have survived this long and wants to make the most of it.

A persons quality of life is far more important than any company's share price. Go for it Steve, live for now.

Ken

iMax

Saw a photo of him taken in the last few days, I'd saw he's got about three months left.

Freddie59

ZENER wrote: »

Having lost a very good friend to Pancreatic Cancer in a very short space of time (>6 months from diagnosis) I can understand his reasons, he's living on borrowed time right now and probably feeling there are many things he has left to do before he passes.

He's had several years dealing with this ailment I reckon he realises how lucky he is to have survived this long and wants to make the most of it.

A persons quality of life is far more important than any company's share price. Go for it Steve, live for now.

Ken

Indeed. My own sister-in-law died from it a few years ago. The time normally from diagnosis to end is approximately six months. She got 18, so Steve has indeed lived beyond expectations.

Sad Professor

Afaik he beat the cancer, but is now dealing with the complications arising from the liver transplant/treatment. Although it's possible the cancer has returned.

opinion guy

Freddie59 wrote: »

In all fairness, he is not just 'one person'. He is a driving force, innovative beyond compare, with a dynamism that will be very difficult (if not impossible) to replace.

To be honest with you I don't believe this. I've never believed this. in a company this size, with tech so advanced not one person is so critical. I believe Apple have cultivated this image, the 'cult of jobs' if you will. I reckon when he came back to Apple the marketing people cottoned on that the fans liked him. They liked the story of the ousted leader returning to save the company and they promoted this view point.

In reality I think he has been sick for the last couple of years. He has had liver transplant and chemo etc (presumably). He can't have been as actively involved during this time.

Sad Professor

How would the marketing people have created that perception? Look at the first Mac and then look at the iPod, iPad, iPhone. There's a very particular Jobsian stamp on those products that was absent in the years he was gone. As an operation, Apple will continue as before. But there's no denying the enormous influence Jobs had on Apple products. For all his skills as a salesman and leader, he was a brilliant product innovator. It's that element Apple will have the hardest time replacing.

opinion guy

Sad Professor wrote: »

How would the marketing people have created that perception? Look at the first Mac and then look at the iPod, iPad, iPhone. There's a very particular Jobsian stamp on those products that was absent in the years he was gone. As an operation, Apple will continue as before. But there's no denying the enormous influence Jobs had on Apple products. For all his skills as a salesman and leader, he was a brilliant product innovator. It's that element Apple will have the hardest time replacing.

Yeah but this idea that they are all his work is wrong.
He sat down a bunch of people and gave them the idea - they then went off and did the work. Do you have any idea how many people would be involved in designing, developing and bringing to market something like an ipod or an iphone - because I do. Hundreds to thousands, possible 5 figure number even.
Even at that - there is some other design guru at apple whos name escapes me - some English guy - who did alot of the design for iphone, ipad etc.
Jobs genius if you want - like all leaders of successful IT companies, is not to be in his shed tinkering on circuit boards, but instead its to hire the right guy to do that for you.

Sad Professor

Of course he didn't make them himself. A film director doesn't make a movie by himself either. But many directors have such a strong vision that they are considered the auteurs of the films they direct. That doesn't take away from everyone else's contribution as it is still a collaboration, but it suggests that that person had a critical and defining influence on the finished result. I think Jobs had a similar influence on Apple products.

The design guy you mentioned is Jony Ive. He's certainly been a very important part of Apple's success in recent years, as has Cook. But I don't think either of them are the product guy that Jobs was.

Dman001

To be honest, I think it was the combination of Ives and Jobs that put Apple where it is. As a team they made fantastic products, but I don't think either are as strong on their own.

conor.hogan.2

I dont think Ive would be working half as well in any other company (ie without jobs letting him have so much freedom) because he wouldn't be allowed in any other company to have as much control to make what he makes never mind the money.

opinion guy

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

I dont think Ive would be working half as well in any other company (ie without jobs letting him have so much freedom) because he wouldn't be allowed in any other company to have as much control to make what he makes never mind the money.

Well this is what I'm saying - the genius of people like Jobs is in recognising the right people like Ives and giving them freedom to do what they do in as much as it is being a visionary himself. That being the case - Apple is not dependent on Jobs as he has put the right people in place around him

conor.hogan.2

Yes, the question is does Tim Cook have the same ability?

Ie will Apple continue on past the next 10+ years innovating when the current people maybe move on and Jobs road map begins fading out.

opinion guy

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Yes, the question is does Tim Cook have the same ability?

Ie will Apple continue on past the next 10+ years innovating when the current people maybe move on and Jobs road map begins fading out.

To be honest if you ask me Apple have already lost their way and its partly down to Jobs. The way they treat app developers, the banning of flash, the imposition of App store on people for latest OS etc etc. They have become like Microsoft of the late 90's. I believe they are at their peak now regardless of Steve's health issues.

Dman001

opinion guy wrote: »

To be honest if you ask me Apple have already lost their way and its partly down to Jobs. The way they treat app developers, the banning of flash, the imposition of App store on people for latest OS etc etc. They have become like Microsoft of the late 90's. I believe they are at their peak now regardless of Steve's health issues.

Wasn't this always Apple's method though? To create a seamless experience through restriction? Like OSX only available on Macs, iPod only syncs with iTunes etc. This was Jobs' method since his return, and one could argue it got where Apple is now.

dannyreillyboy

opinion guy wrote: »

To be honest if you ask me Apple have already lost their way and its partly down to Jobs. The way they treat app developers, the banning of flash, the imposition of App store on people for latest OS etc etc. They have become like Microsoft of the late 90's. I believe they are at their peak now regardless of Steve's health issues.

I have been reading your posts and am really bemused by them but the post above is the most ridiculous. How have Apple lost their way, it is commonly known that Apple 'lost' their way when they last lost Steve Jobs and it is only since he returned that they have returned to the dizzying heights that they last encountered back in the 70/80s. Apple have always been proprietary under Jobs and they have always controlled the openness of their hardware/software. I don't think this ethos has changed in recent years. If you want an open marketplace for apps then go with Android. We are in the era of apps, why not make people buy online through the app store. It is not only the future, it is the present way to buy digital content. It actually makes way more sense to sell it this way and means a fairer deal for all as Apple save on distribution costs and the consumer saves on overall price!

But your statement that Apple are like the Microsoft of the early 90's? What type of reasoning did you employ to conclude that?

Also, I think its more a case of you 'wanting' Apple to be at their peak! There is absolutely no doubt that Jobs is the key person in their recent success, and it is vision and drive that has brought us these revolutionary products. If you are aware of the products Apple have released over the years, you will find Steve Jobs stamped all over them. Of course its not 'all' his work but go read up about the corporate structure, the 'flat' management structure, the small independent teams, the culture.....all built around a vision, Jobs Vision!