While I’m not the Apple fanboy others are, even I understand the impression Steve Jobs has had on the tech industry. From the earlier days of being the upstart competitor to Bill Gates’ Kingdom of Microsoft, to the current ruler of the tech gadget movement, Jobs’ overall impact is quite apparent.
However, in recent years, Jobs has been battling pancreatic cancer to such an extent, he received a liver transplant in 2009. With that, concerns about Jobs’ health and his position at Apple have been an issue, with the main one being will Jobs be around to lead Apple beyond the iPhone/iPad generation?
The fact Jobs took a leave of absence from his company only fueled these concerns. However, reports of Jobs’ inability to effectively manage have been quite premature. Not only is Jobs still very much involved in navigating Apple’s course, he’s also been an active leader. While he may not be at the Apple campus as much, Jobs still manages — quite well, it seems — from home.
While COO Timothy Cook controls the day-to-day operations, Jobs is still an incredibly influential figure, and is still very much a part of the managerial team that drives the fruit-laden tech company.
The Wall Street Journal offers more:
Among products he is continuing to work on are the next version of the iPad tablet computer, expected out in the next couple of months, and a new iPhone, expected to be released this summer…
Not only is Jobs still an active participant in charting Apple’s path, despite his apparent medical issues, he’s been seen on the Apple campus, and reports are, his appearance is very good, in spite of the medical battles he’s been fighting.
Oddly enough, at least to this writer, the viral leak of an early television appearance of Jobs on an edition of Nightline from the late 70s seems fitting. With reports of Jobs and his distinct lack of invalidity due to his recent health battles, the video, coupled with the recent reports of Jobs sightings, seemed to give a sense of confidence to Apple fans everywhere:
Unfortunately, the NASDAQ doesn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm, although, the overwhelming success of the Verizon iPhone launch should reverse the recent down-trend, regardless of Jobs’ physical condition.
If anything, the Verizon/iPhone grand slam proves Steve Jobs doesn’t need to be front-and-center for Apple’s successes to continue.
