Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO

[Kzach]

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

Only a few more months until 2012. OMG! The Mayans were right!

 

[Umbran]

The man's had some serious health problems. And, honestly, it isn't like he's had that position through all of Apple's existence - he was out for a full decade between '85 and '96...

 

[Bullgrit]

Is my iPhone about to stop working?! Oh no!

Bullgrit

 

[Kzach]

Is my iPhone about to stop working?!

Yes, but that's ok 'cause you can now download the free Android app, "The Sky is Falling".

 

[billd91]

And, honestly, it isn't like he's had that position through all of Apple's existence - he was out for a full decade between '85 and '96...

Don't remind us.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That was a decade of hits & misses...

 

[Fast Learner]

That was a decade of hits & misses...

Largely misses. Even though they continued to innovate with the PowerBook and the Newton, they lost their way in terms of timing and marketing, and went way down the wrong path with Mac clone licensing.

Still, Jobs was Apple ][ and Macintosh and LaserWriter in 1985 when he was ousted, with no opportunity to set Apple up for the future. When he came back he was also Pixar and NeXT, and has since had years to set the company up for the future, something he's been actively doing, so it should work out much better this time.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Three things which are good about this announcement:

1. iFad naming convention will die soon.
2. People will realize that Steve Jobs' brilliance was overrated.
3. The mainstream cult of jobs will break apart as they search for their new hipster messiah. (Note: all true hipster's despise Steve Jobs for making Apple too mainstream)

 

[Mallus]

2. People will realize that Steve Jobs' brilliance was overrated.

It'll take more than this (sad) announcement... perhaps after his company stops having more liquid cash than the United State government. It's not impossible to argue with success, but in cases of staggering success, like Steve Jobs's, it kinda is.

 

[Umbran]

It'll take more than this (sad) announcement... perhaps after his company stops having more liquid cash than the United State government. It's not impossible to argue with success, but in cases of staggering success, like Steve Jobs's, it kinda is.

Other way around - if Apple falls without Jobs, that suggests that the success was due to Jobs, and that he's brilliant. If Apple continues to succeed without Jobs, then you can more easily question how much of that success was due to Jobs personally.