That day has come. Deep down inside we all knew that this day would come, ever since that moment in 2006 when we read that Steve Jobs, our beloved leader, was suffering from a very rare and very serious form of pancreatic cancer, we expected this. Some even prepared for this.
It has been a emotional ride since that day in 2004, a number of medical leaves have passed and speculation has consistently run high about Jobs’ health and the future prospects of Apple. Apple has soared, the products are greater than they've ever been and the brand is synonymous with products that change lives. Today we get a clearer picture of Apple’s future, but not that of Steve.
Any pundit following Apple will have known that Tim Cook, the brain of Apple would step up as CEO when that day came. The appointment of Cook as CEO comes as no surprise. Jobs’ resignation as CEO comes as no surprise, but it does contain a bolt of shock.
Amongst the shock and fear it should be remembered that Steve Jobs has always given Apple vision and direction, his acute attention to products and the needs of the consumer have shaped Apple into the world’s largest consumer electronics company. We should remember that Jobs will stay on at Apple as an employee and as chairman of the board, a role that Bill Gates holds at Microsoft and a role that is vital to the decisions of any corporation.
This news will without a doubt create further stories about Steve Jobs’ health; the stock will tank, investors will jump ship and the critics will crawl out of the woodwork but it’s important to remember that Apple’s vision is set, the future is laid out and Apple’s team is strong. Apple is strong.
Tomorrow will be an ordinary day at Apple, the offices will buzz with the news, shocked faces will walk through Cupertino but the employees will sit down and continue to work for Tim Cook as they have for several months, Apple’s heart will beat as Apple’s heart has always beat.
Steve Jobs created the personal computer world we live in, he created a vision of computers in every corner of our lives and he delivered upon it. Jobs’ memory and his work will live on in our lives forever.
I pray for Steve’s health, I thank Steve for the effect he has had on my life and I will forever respect and adore the man that changed the world time and time again. Here's to the crazy ones.