By now, the ripples of Steve Jobs announcing his resignation as the CEO of Apple will have subsided and the cold realization will set in amid fan and computer aficionado alike—it’s the end of an epoch. Apple Inc. saw a meteoric rise to power under the benevolent ministrations of Jobs and it could be argued that he’s become the landmark of a cultural revolution that stretches far beyond the silicon shores of Apple and into every home, sings giddily in radio waves connecting iPhones and iPods, and soars majestically through the iCloud. Steve Jobs as been a good king; but even kings are mortal and must give way to their heirs.

The King without his sword, and Apple without her CEO

In Irish and British folklore, it’s not uncommon for kings to be tied directly to their kingdoms—the ill health or dim wittedness of the king directly affects the land and the people. In one tale, an Irish king is presiding over a problem between two farmers: one farmer had his crop of woad eaten by the other’s flock of sheep, ruining his crop for the year. The king decides to give the second farmer’s sheep to the first as recompense. The decision is regarded as so woefully inept that the land itself fell down—and it would not be restored until the king’s successor (an advisor) corrected the mistake by having the sheep farmer give up a season of his flock’s wool instead for the woad.

Since Steve Jobs took the reins in 1997, Apple has seen an unexpected prosperity that catapulted them from a mediocre and dimming computer company to briefly surpassing Exxon Mobile Corp. as the world’s most valuable company. He has presided over a 9,020 percent surge in stock value, a growth of shares that went from $2.08 billion to exceeding $348.7 billion. Surely the CEO-king has done great things for his people and his land by fomenting the cultural revolution that is modern-day Apple.

In response to his resignation, the markets have heaved a collective sigh. The Nasdaq-100 futures market has declined and Apple’s shares have fallen 5.1% all in one night over the announcement of one person. This event isn’t magical and it really isn’t that worrisome; but it’s a testament to how core to the company and our vision of it that Jobs has become.

The epic of Steve Jobs and his inevitable resignation imbues a sense of mortality; reading his resignation note, I cannot help by recollect Le Morte d’Arthur—British king of legend—as the industry averts its eyes and waits to pass their much loved icon from the CEO of Camelot to a chairmanship in Avalon. (On the subject of King Arthur, it’s no coincidence in my mind that Avalon is the Isle of Apples, probably from the Welsh afall.)

Jobs, 56, has been locked in trial by combat with his own personal Mordred of ill health for many years now, holding his own against cancer; he is also the proud recipient of a liver transplant; as such he cannot go on forever as the Great and Wise King of Apple.

“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,” Jobs said in a statement to the Apple community and the company’s board. “Unfortunately, that day has come.”

The hearts of fans and rivals alike pour out as Jobs resigns

His departure from the throne has shaken the entire computer industry, no less the Apple community itself. As fans mourn and deliver their thanks, the great leaders of other kingdoms even have their say about their rival’s passing and his immense body of work.

“I think his brilliance has been well-documented, but what gets forgotten is the bravery with which he’s confronted his illness,” Howard Stringer, the CEO of Sony, said in a statement. “For him to achieve this much success under these circumstances doubles his legacy.”

“Steve Jobs is the most successful CEO in theU.S.of the last 25 years,” Google Inc Chairman Eric Schmidt said about his old friend. “He uniquely combined an artist’s touch and an engineers vision to build an extraordinary company… One of the greatest American leaders in history.”

As CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs has presided over a cultural revolution in computing. From the outset, Apple computers have always been iconic: simple, elegant, and seamless. The devices from Macs to iPads always radiate a sense of slender engineering prowess that reflects in their glossy design. In fact, Jobs’s resignation comes on the cusp of the launch of the Apple flagship smartphone the iPhone 5, the latest in a series that is testament to how Jobs fomented a cult of technology surrounding his company’s products.

A person can power their entire connectivity to the computer world with Apple products alone.

Bon voayage, Steve Jobs, Apple has thrived under your care and you leave her better than you found her. Although no longer CEO, having become Chairman of the Board, I do not doubt that your influence will remain over the corporation and computers for many, many years to come.

So, anyone else want to make a guess where Jobs keeps is smartphone Excalibur and which of his closest friends will have the solemn duty of returning it to the Lady of the Lake?

[Image credit: PCMag]