UPDATED 07:33 EDT / AUGUST 25 2011

The Jobs of Innovation: from PC to iPad

Steve Jobs, a legend in the tech industry.  Well-known for his collaboration with Steve Wozniak in building the Apple Empire, Jobs created innovations that no one knew they needed (or wanted?) until he made them.  His life is an open-book, not ashamed to share that most of wisdom and creativity came from his foolish, youthful acts of taking recreational drugs and venturing out into the world.  He made millions though he only earns $1 a year as Apple’s CEO.  He made great investments (does Pixar and Disney ring any bell?) that until now, have been quite fruitful.

After being ousted from Apple in 1986, the company suffered a bit of a setback.  After 10 years, Jobs was rehired when Apple bought NeXT, the computer company Jobs built but, but didn’t really see much success.  In just a year after returning, he was back to running Apple.  And in 2000, they introduced a product, the iPod, that revolutionized how people listen to music and jumpstarted their domination in creating innovative devices, services and software.  What followed were jaw-dropping product launches from the iTunes launched in 2003, MacBook in ’06, the iPhone in ’07 and of course the iPad that was launched just last year.

With everything that he has accomplished, it’s not a surprise that Jobs’ resignation as Apple’s CEO is creating such a buzz.  Though he will still remain with Apple as Chairman of the Board, you can’t help but think that this will not sit well with some investors and consumers.  Most Apple investors chose to invest in the company because of Jobs himself.  They trust that Jobs will make it a point to see to it that the company stays on top of its game.

Shares of Apple Inc. have already fallen by more than 4% in pre-market trading on Thursday, just a day after the announcement.  Shares fell to $360 in trading before the bell. They closed at $376.18 on Wednesday on NASDAQ.

“While the news could weigh on shares in the near term, we think the company’s model is built to last, sustaining a digital way of life that other industry participants have yet to rival,” J.P. Morgan said in a research note to clients.

Tim Cook, Apple’s COO, will now be CEO as Jobs steps down.  He has proven that he is fit to fill in Jobs’ shoes as he was already overseeing things when Jobs was on medical leave due to his health condition.  It’s not likely that Cook will let the company fall apart, especially with Apple products dominating the game.

Cook’s work for the company has been about making sure that the process of manufacturing cutting-edge products and delivering them to consumers is done efficiently.  He has also been highly credited for delivering outstanding margins for iPhones and iPads that resulted in high revenue.  But the question is, does Cook have the same creative insight as Jobs?  Will he be able to deliver the same jaw-dropping effect to the world with Apple products?  Or can he out-do what Jobs accomplished?  With Jony Ive, the British design guru for Apple products, still on board, it is possible that these two could still deliver awesome results.

Cook won’t have to wait too long to prove his skills and abilities as Apple is expected to soon launch the new iPhone 5, iPad 3, a rumored cheaper iPhone 4 8GB and a new line of Macs.  Along with battling various companies in court all over the globe, Cook has his plate full, and I don’t think that he would care too much as what critics might, will or have said about him.


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