“Steve Jobs’s resignation as chief executive officer of Apple is the end of an extraordinary era, not just for Apple, but for the global technology industry in general,” Walt Mossberg writes for The Wall Street Journal.
“To be very clear, Mr. Jobs, while seriously ill, is very much alive. People with direct knowledge of the matter say he intends to remain involved in developing major future products and strategy and intends to be an active chairman of the board, even while new CEO Tim Cook runs the company day-to-day,” Mossberg reports. “This is not an obituary. But his health is reported to be up and down, and even an active chairman isn’t the same as a CEO.”
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Mossberg writes, “CEOs resign every day, so why is this one so meaningful? Most people are lucky if they can change the world in one important way, but Mr. Jobs, in multiple stages of his business career, changed global technology and media in multiple ways on multiple occasions. And that changed the way people live.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
Long live Steve Jobs.
Seriously, what would I do without my iPhone to constantly distract me from everything else going on around me. How would we survive a night at the bar without everyone around us constantly checking their Facebook walls on their iPhones?
What are you doing here?
+1
Please leave.
“Steve Jobs promoted to Apple Chairman”
“Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company. Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”
I mean for god sakes, the man only brought personal computing into the american household! At the time….whatever, but now looking back at what it has done for the world.
God’s sake. Not sakes. Come on, now.
You’re mispronouncing it. It’s the plural of “god sake”, a very, very potent Asian rice wine. 😉
BTW, Long Live Steve, Long Live Apple!
If you haven’t watched his 1995 commencement speech at Sanford, you really should! Inspiring , Many have called it one of the best commencement speechs ever made!
still early, I meant 2005 speech
Stanford commencement
You also have to listen to this Simon Sinek talk “How great leaders inspire action”
How true !!! It changed my life and even the way I lived …thank you so much Steve !!!
I’m feeling very sentimental about all of this. A neighbor of mine died of cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, last weekend. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer last December and we’ve just completed the last steps for her to be cancer-free, and we count ourselves lucky.
I’ve been reading MDN for a long time. Several years ago, a gentleman whose handle was “linuxguyandmacprodigalson” was the “Fred Mertz” of his time, always submitting a substantial number of the articles which appeared on any given day. One day he reported to us via the comments that he wouldn’t be around for a while as he was battling cancer. It was heartwarming how all of the regulars and even the passers-through posted well-wishing sentiments. He never returned, though, and it left me wondering what had happened to him with no real way ever to find out.
This forum can be a fun, educational place to read articles and people’s comments and cheer Apple on. It can feel like a small community despite the fact that we are accessing it from all over the world. To the people who run MDN and to all of you readers, I wish all of you good health.
I think someone did post here that he had passed away. I still remember when LinuxGuy posted that.
Chairman of the Board, as well as Director of the Board, is job that occurs not even every month.
Directors just get together for one or two meetings per quarter to hear what CEO has to say and that is it.
For the amount of work that Steven is still capable of, he retains job position as Apple’s worker with no title. Chairman position has nothing to do with this.
How much Jobs will be able to bring in his new role will depend on his health condition depending on time. Obviously, he came to be consistently unable to perform regular duties, but at least sometimes he can participate — as long as he alive.
(Of course, besides CEO, CFO and some other senior management might have to prepare reports for the Board).
Steve will not merely “participate”. As long as there is breath in his body, he will continue to share his vision with those at Apple who are smart enough and dedicated enough to grok what he is saying and run with it.
Everyone should keep in mind two things while fretting about Jobs’ health.
First, there is a lot of room between “so sick you’re at death’s door” and “healthy enough to run the second biggest corporation in the world”. Jobs probably sees himself as somewhere between the two.
Second, if Jobs saw the end the coming, does anyone seriously think he’d ask to be elected chairman?
Relax, people. And let Steve enjoy his rest.
——RM
Why sweat the small stuff when you got management like Apple’s?
Jobs could do without the constant stress and time spent on all the stuff he can’t help but obsess about, now as he’s dealing with his health. He’s trained everyone that matters in the formula and secrecy of Apple’s success, they all have the same DNA and Jobs deserves to oversee and conduct the orchestra as The Honorable Chairman of The Board.
Steady as she goes Steve…
This is really the position that many of us have been saying Steve should move to for a few years now, where he basically is able to influence and even direct the development of new products but is removed from the day-to-day rigors of being CEO. This move will help him regain his health but still wield significant influence at Apple over its designs.
This announcement probably isn’t changing the reality of how Apple has been operating for the past year or more. Tim Cook has been running the show, but now he gets the title to go along with the work. Good for him; he’s earned it. Good for Jobs; he’s earned a break and the opportunity to back off and do the parts of his job he obviously enjoys the most.