
Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple - taylorbuley
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Steve-Jobs-Resigns-as-CEO-of-bw-19285464.html?x=0&.v=1
======
danilocampos
Apple's going to be fine. Steve's most extraordinary work isn't the Mac, the
iPhone or the iPad. It's rebuilding Apple in his image. It was creating
organizational culture and habits that mimic his weird brain, like their
aggressive software prototyping to prove that things work well and feel good.

Fuck, I'll miss him, though. I'll miss the way he got up there each and every
time like he was selling you your own personal Jesus in a box. Not out of
hucksterism, but because he really was that excited to share what he and his
people had been working on. Excited to do things better. Excited to solve
problems in a way that was far more tasteful, more satisfying, than anything
anyone had bothered to try before. Maybe he'll still do announcements as his
health allows – but maybe that would send a weird message.

He's a man who was lucky enough to find out exactly what he did best – and to
seize upon it with every cell in his body.

I'm a better person for his example. The resurrection of Apple was one of the
most enjoyable things I followed in my childhood. No matter how you feel about
his approach, this is a guy who loves his work with an intensity that couldn't
be faked and won't be soon matched.

~~~
ellyagg
_Apple's going to be fine._

One half of Apple is execution. I believe that Jobs has infused the company
with a culture based on his favored principles, and it's reasonable to think
this culture is sticky.

The other half of Apple is big strategic decisions. _Do the iPod. Do the
iPhone. Do the iPad._ I don't know anyone else with a track record like that.
I don't know that it's trainable. Until the next smash product line that's not
from his lips to Apple's ears, I don't know that Apple is going to be fine.

~~~
danilocampos
> The other half of Apple is big strategic decisions. Do the iPod. Do the
> iPhone. Do the iPad.

It's interesting, though, because to hear Apple's brass tell it, the crucial
decisions haven't been "do this" so much as they have been "don't do this,
don't do that."

Apple is huge on focus, and they credit that focus with their success more
than anything else. Focus seems to be baked into their culture as much as
anything else at this point.

A mark of a good leader is being able to build a team that can function even
when that leader is absent. So far, Steve Jobs has, for all his
eccentricities, succeeded in every other measure of leadership – to an
exceptional degree. I'd be pretty shocked if his talents couldn't include the
final part of the equation.

~~~
miek
In the short-term, I'm confident that they can function well absent their
leader. Long-term may be a different story. I don't think the company will
"follow" Cook the way they follow Jobs.

In order to lead like Jobs, Cook will have to make some very bold decisions.
The first time one of those fizzles, the resulting fear will be much greater
than it would have been, had Jobs been at the helm. Should he have a streak of
fizzles, watch out.

Apple has a very bumpy ride ahead, I do believe. I really hope they do well,
though, because I enjoy their products.

~~~
barkingcat
No, actually. My recommendation to Tim Cook is to _not_ lead like Jobs. There
is only one Steve Jobs, and the world knows it. Tim Cook will need to evolve
his own leadership style, and the company will need to trust Jobs that he has
passed the baton onto the right person.

There's no point trying to replace Jobs, because that's impossible. What's
possible is for Cook to become someone different, someone, dare I say it, even
_better_ than Jobs (ie less of an ass or a douchebag, but just as exacting
when it comes to high product standards with the global business acumen when
it comes to supply chain management) - do you see it? Tim Cook now has a
chance to make magic happen - He's worked so hard over the last few decades
just for a chance to stand in that CEO position - and now that he has it - he
better make the best of it.

My prediction is that Apple will radically change in the next few years - it
has to - in order to say goodbye to Jobs, and welcome the new king - Tim Cook.

------
alanfalcon
"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.
Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit,
as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our
succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I
look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all
for the many years of being able to work alongside you."

From the WSJ blog: [http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/08/24/steve-jobs-resigns-
as-...](http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/08/24/steve-jobs-resigns-as-apple-
ceo/)

EDIT: Now posted on Apple.com:
[http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Letter-from-
Steve-...](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Letter-from-Steve-
Jobs.html)

~~~
ristretto
This hints it's probably about health reasons, which is the saddest part.

~~~
Macha
Hinting is rather unnecessary. Why else would he leave?

~~~
TomOfTTB
Because he's 56 years old and wants to start living a well deserved
retirement?

He's already on leave. So it isn't like there's a great strain on his health
now. I would think no more than there will be when he remains on as chairman
of the board. Which is the real point.

If health were forcing him to step down he wouldn't be staying on as Chairman.
There are significant duties to being Chairman of the Board. You have to
appear in public, you have to go to official functions, and so on. You can't
hide a serious illness and still be chairman of the board.

Mark my words: This is all about Tim Cook (Which, if I might toot my own horn,
I predicted here: [http://tomstechblog.com/post/Ie28099m-Not-Sure-Steve-Jobs-
Is...](http://tomstechblog.com/post/Ie28099m-Not-Sure-Steve-Jobs-Is-All-That-
Sicke280a6But-That-Might-Mean-He-Isne28099t-Fully-Coming-Back.aspx))

~~~
jacquesm
I think health is the only reason that would force Steve Jobs to quit, he
_likes_ what he's doing.

Being a Chairman of the board is a message to stockholders: "Don't panic, I'm
still available", if he stepped down without an orderly transition Apple stock
would probably really take a beating.

The chairman of the board is fairly invisible from a public point of view.

------
thought_alarm

        Apple Computer Inc
        the Apple II
        the Apple //e
        the Apple //c
        the Apple //GS
        the Mac
        Mac OS
        the Mac II
        the NeXT Cube
        NeXTSTEP OS
        NeXTSTEP API
        Objective-C
        Cocoa
        Mac OS X
        the iMac
        the Titanium PowerBook
        the iPod
        iTunes
        the iTunes Music Store
        the iPod Touch
        the iPhone
        the iPad
        iOS
        the App Store
    

These things have been utterly inspirational and important to me from the time
I first discovered computers for myself at age seven, to today. Without them I
would not be who I am today, doing what I'm doing today.

Thanks Steve.

(And if you're wondering what Steve Jobs had to do with the Apple //c, //GS,
and Mac II, he was the one who brought in Frog Design to design Apple hardware
throughout the 80s, and their work was marvelous, just as Jony Ive's work is
marvelous today)

~~~
shadowsun7
And that's just Apple. Lest we forget, he changed the music industry, the film
industry, the telecommunications industry (and maybe the gaming industry, see
Nintendo's struggle vs the iPod and the iPhone as premier mobile gaming
devices, but I think this is still up in the air)

Steve is truly, truly an American legend.

~~~
jamesgeck0
He's definitely changed the gaming industry. Don't look at the platform, look
at the developers. The nature of the iOS platform is giving indie developers
some serious visibility that many might not otherwise have.

------
AlexMuir
Many of us on HN aspire to the success that Steve's had. We'd love to be him,
to build something amazing like Apple. But I bet he'd give anything to have
the good health and indeterminate life expectancy that we have tonight. I'll
go to sleep thinking how lucky i am. And I'm going for a run tomorrow, because
all the success in the world is for nowt if you lose your health.

~~~
markbao
Thank you for that.

------
armandososa
I don't know why, but I feel a little sad right now. Like being witness to the
end of an era.

~~~
Bud
You're sad because you are sensing that there's no replacement for The Steve,
either inside Apple or outside.

And you're right.

~~~
wickedchicken
Leaving a void for the next generation to fill. I'm looking forward to it.

~~~
mikeleeorg
Every farewell is an opportunity for a new hello.

~~~
charlieflowers
I'm sad too. He is a once-an-epoch leader. Think what the world would be like
without him. Amazing that a business leader can be so important and
foundational to the world.

~~~
grammaton
This is getting to be a bit much....he was an impressive CEO. Important and
foundational to the world.

------
swombat
It makes perfect sense as part of the succession planning for Apple. This way,
when Steve (very sadly) resigns "permanently" from any and all jobs, it _will_
just be business as usual and not take down the Apple stock by 30% or
something equally ridiculous.

Still, quite a shock.

~~~
rhygar
AAPL is still going to tank.

~~~
swombat
Not for very long. There's no real reason for it to do so. This was entirely
predictable. Sure, a bunch of people are going to short, but they'll be sorry
they did.

~~~
mikeleeorg
I truly, sincerely hope you're right. I've always seen Jobs as a visionary
leader, but I'm uncertain he's been similarly effective at grooming a
leadership team (or individual) with the same vision. Cult of personality and
all that.

Part of Apple's success, IMHO, has been Jobs' ability to cut through
bureaucracy, egos, corporate politics and industry politics to execute on a
pristine vision. Perhaps it's my lack of faith in middle managers, but unless
there is a clear mandate from leadership, details & priorities can morph down
the chain of command. Visionary products can be diluted by others making what
seem like perfectly sound trade-offs. It's the minimization of that dilution,
setting of crystal-clear priorities, and making the hard trade-off decisions
that has made Jobs such an effective leader at Apple.

That, and his ability to look several steps ahead of an industry - and
arguably to create new industries - that has given rise to so many of Apple's
disruptive innovations. Without him, I have a bad feeling Apple will become
better at creating sustaining innovations than disruptive ones.

Of course, I don't work there and perhaps there are many others who can make
such tough decisions and dream up industry-changing visions. I sincerely hope
so. For the growth of the company, I sincerely hope so.

------
alexqgb
This is really sad. I'm just glad he got to enjoy the glory of seeing a
company he started in his parent's garage become - if only for a moment - the
most valuable enterprise on Earth.

I mean wow, what a ride.

~~~
bitanarch
He changed how normal people viewed technology.

That's much more important than the volatile numbers made up by Wall Street.

------
padmanabhan01
This is the first time I have personally felt sad when a CEO has quit his
company.

~~~
redorb
I will be sad when Mr. Page and Brin retire as well.

~~~
jamesbkel
true, but hopefully that will be under better circumstances.

------
breckinloggins
It pains me to admit it, but I'm relatively relieved. Sure, the stock price
will take a beating, but I have to believe that Apple, the company, will
remain strong under Tim Cook's leadership.

Why am I relieved? Because, although AAPL is still quite high, I think that
investors have been weary of the stock due to the uncertainty of Jobs' health
and future. Make no mistake, we'll have a roller coaster for quite a while,
but I strongly suspect that the next few product cycles will demonstrate that
Apple is still a game-changer even in a world where Jobs is not at the helm.

That being said, I'll miss him. He's a true visionary and such high-profile
leaders only come along once in a great while.

~~~
Zakuzaa
AAPL is trading at 14.xx P/E. It's low for a company with such an astonishing
growth rate. To add some perspective, AMZN's P/E is hovering at 85.xx.

~~~
yardie
AAPL on one had is a Wallstreet darling and on the other a rebel. They don't
listen to Wallstreet analysts or investors and are constantly punished for it
in their stock price (really it should be much higher but it's not). Instead
of producing cheaper laptops to increase market share they just make more
featurepacked ones at the same price. Instead of going after the enterprise
market they just do basic enterprise sales and implement some enterprise
features. Other PC manufacturers got out of the PC business because there is
no money to be made there and they double down on it.

Instead of following trends like many other companies they completely buck
them. And this gets them painted as unpredictable. And this is why there PE is
so low. Because they are constantly growing but the analysts are convinced
this is their peak and it only goes downhill from here.

------
ww520
Steve Jobs along with Bill Gates and others define the personal computing era.
I grew up seeing these people trail-blazed and built up the technology world
we know today. It's sad to see Jobs is stepping down, most likely due to
health reason. It's like the representation of our computing generation is
fading away.

I don't know why but the dialogue from Blade Runner suddenly comes to mind,
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the
shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser
gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain..."

------
waterlesscloud
Jobs preparing for his very first TV appearance in 1978.

It's funny how very nervous he is. Guess he learned to get over that...

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ogsI2OAYWnk)

------
kooshball
Wow. Even though everyone saw this one coming, I dont think anyone expected it
to happen so soon. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts
tomorrow, I imagine it wont be pretty.

As the COO, Cook did great job lining up and executing the production line.
Most of the creative work should already be in the pipeline for the 2012, 2013
releases. We'll see what happens after then.

~~~
technoslut
Apple will probably be fine for the next decade. The main concern is if Apple
can continue to create disruptive products.

From Jobs' own mouth, it was his idea for the iPad a decade ago and from that
sprung the iPhone.

~~~
dkrich
The great thing about Apple is that it doen't create disruptive products, but
invents new markets altogether.

~~~
spydez
Smart phones existed before the iPhone; Apple/Jobs just made them orders of
magnitude better. Tablets have existed before the iPad; Apple/Jobs just made
the first one the market fell in love with.

What new markets have they created?

Now, don't get me wrong... I love Apple. I have a Mac and an iPhone and Cinema
displays. I'm jealous of my friends with iPads. Etc. I just don't see any
brand new markets.

~~~
mortenjorck
I would actually disagree. How many first-year undergrads did you see with a
Blackberry or a Windows Mobile device in the pre-iPhone smartphone market? How
many middle-aged couples on airplanes did you see with a Fujitsu tablet before
the iPad? There were small business and enterprise smartphone and tablet
markets before Apple entered them, but there sure weren't consumer markets for
these categories.

~~~
Encosia
> How many first-year undergrads did you see with a Blackberry or a Windows
> Mobile device in the pre-iPhone smartphone market?

Danger's Sidekick line was popular with those less enterprisey demographics
and predated the iPhone by quite a while.

------
JacobAldridge
I'm preparing a presentation for the HN Meetup in London tomorrow and I used
Apple as a 'forthcoming' example of Succession and its impact on equity/ share
value. Guess I better reword that bit now, and again when the markets open
tomorrow.

~~~
eyko
There's a HN meetup in London today?

~~~
ZeroMinx
Yup, <http://www.meetup.com/HNLondon/events/29224501/>

------
anatoly
It's difficult to imagine this could be for any reason other than his illness,
but I'd like to hope against hope.

~~~
51Cards
Agreed, in fact I suspect that the 'chairman' position may also just be
something to keep the stock from nose-diving and that it may not last long. I
just have a feeling that Jobs wouldn't step back until he really really had
to, and that it _may_ be a sign of things being worse than he will let on
right now.

------
teyc
The biggest thing Jobs brought to the computing industry is humanity. The
understanding that in the end, humans come first.

The second thing is he taught that you don't have to check every box in order
to be successful.

He stripped computing back to its roots in science fiction, and built devices
that were originally imagined, taking away feature after feature until
something is understood.

------
nhangen
I'm sad about this in the same way I'm bummed when a great athlete retires.
We've witness one of the greatest turnarounds in history, and though I'm
confident that Apple will remain strong, it sucks to see this happen.

That said, when the market dips, buy, buy, buy.

~~~
mkramlich
I generally agree on buying when there's a dip. Except if the dip is due to a
drop in the fundamental ability of said company to execute. A reasonable
person could bet that while there may be no near/medium term ability in their
ability to execute, that there will be a medium/long term drop. That old saw
about A picks A, B picks C, C picks D, etc. There will likely be a decay.

------
bane
I can only feel a bit of sadness not just from his resignation, but from the
health circumstances that are likely behind this.

I have to take my hat off to Mr. Jobs. Though there is much I disagree with
him on (and personally, I'm not much of an Apple fan or consumer), he's one of
the most amazing, talented and driven people I've ever seen.

He's brought a unique and masterful skill to the art of selling, vertical
integration, acquisitions and consumer electronics. And I mean _art_. Vertical
integration was never something I thought I'd appreciate on an aesthetic level
until I saw the level that Jobs has raised that form to time and again. The
NeXT computer production line was divine.

I think he's learned tremendously from what happened to Apple the last time he
left and has spent extraordinary effort to ensure a smooth and capable team
takes over. I can only guess that this might be happening after seeing the
capability that the current team has executed with these past few months.

I want Apple in the fight, they continuously raise the bar in the industry and
literally make it great to be a consumer, even if you don't buy their stuff
yourself.

Kudos to Jobs for a job well done, and I wish him the best in health.

------
gamache
And Tim Cook is his successor, it's confirmed:

> Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

> Tim Cook Named CEO and Jobs Elected Chairman of the Board

> CUPERTINO, California—August 24, 2011—Apple’s Board of Directors today
> announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the
> Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the
> company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will
> join the Board, effective immediately.

[http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Steve-Jobs-
Resigns...](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Steve-Jobs-Resigns-as-
CEO-of-Apple.html)

------
arnoldwh
Sad day..I think I must have watched his stanford commencement speech at least
a dozen times.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&feature=youtu...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&feature=youtube_gdata_player)

~~~
dporan
This announcement only makes more poignant what he said in that speech:

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever
encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything
-- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure
-- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is
truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know
to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already
naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

~~~
spking
Thank you for reminding me of this quote. Truly epic.
<http://spking.com/steve/>

------
AlexMuir
And the greatest second act in (business) history draws to a close. He's
changed the world. And he made Apple the most valuable company in the world.
That's quite some achievement for a terminally ill man.

~~~
grammaton
“The problem is I’m older now, I’m 40 years old, and this stuff doesn’t change
the world. It really doesn’t. I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really
changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant,
and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it
much — if at all."

\--Steve Jobs

~~~
AlexMuir
In the sense that the building blocks of the world are the same, yes. But it's
changed my world - I haven't lost anyone's phone number for years. I take
pictures of things. I go running more. I interact with distant friends. And I
type faster than ever. I have access to the vast amounts of information in my
pocket any time. That's amazing. And my 83 year old neighbour understands that
she can touch things to see more information about them. That's amazing.

------
susanhi
Apple will be fine for the next 5 years. The iPhone, iPad, MacBooks, iMacs,
etc. will carry them and their revenue. They probably have a few new products
ready to release within a year as well, maybe TV or something else. The next 5
years I don't see them stalling. The iPhone and iPad have too much momentum.
But the big question is from year 6 to 10. Apple needs a product leader,
someone who will lead the whole company to rally around the latest and
greatest new apple product. Hopefully Tim Cook can fit into that role, with
help from Ive, Schiller, and others. Another hopeful note is the leadership
institute Jobs has set up inside Apple with ex-business school profs archiving
all of Jobs exploits and training then next generation of leaders. However, I
think really nobody really knows what Apple will be like from year 6 to 10.
But I'll be rooting for Apple and hope they continue to make revolutionary
products.

------
mortenjorck
Considering where Apple is today, especially in context of its epic journey
across the past fifteen years, it almost seems like this would have been time
regardless of any concerns about Steve's health. He helmed a company that
started one revolution through several more, an eclipsing second act largely
unlike anything else in the history of business. You need a one-in-a-million
CEO to do that.

Apple doesn't need that where it is now. Its struggles are just memories
today. It still needs an incredibly smart CEO that can keep the company on the
right path, which it has in Tim Cook, but the era in which Jobs was critical
as CEO is over. Whether he's chairman of the board or executive visionary-in-
residence, it'll be a more appropriate position for Apple's founder in this
new decade.

This doesn't mark the end of Apple's ascendancy, just the very end of the
turnaround. The dawn is over. This is Apple greeting the day.

------
meterplech
Can people stop talking about the effect of the stock? I get it- many of us
own AAPL. This is one of the greatest entrepreneurs and CEOs ever stepping
down. Let's focus on that.

------
Bud
Steve will now be Chairman of the Board, to answer some questions from other
comments. It's hard to see how this does not at least hint at some more bad
health news, although I too hope that it does not mean this. Here's Steve's
letter to the Board:

[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Letter-from-Steve-
bw-220060757...](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Letter-from-Steve-
bw-2200607574.html?x=0&.v=1)

~~~
TomOfTTB
How so? He was already on leave. Being on leave doesn't put a big strain on
your health because you're not having to go in to the office. So how would
health issues force him to step down?

I guess maybe if he was so sick he physically couldn't go into the office but
he's remaining chairman so that can't be the case.

~~~
philwelch
The difference between going on leave and resigning is that it's expected that
you will come back from leave. Sometimes health problems have a chance of
getting better, and sometimes that chance goes away.

------
dm8
One of the most iconic leader of our times. I will miss his keynotes. They
were simply joy to watch.

The famous advert "Here's to the crazy ones..misfits.." totally applies to his
career. I'm sure if AAPL ever recreates the same ad, he deserves his spot in
there.

------
untog
Wow. I very much hope that this not for illness reasons, and instead he simply
decided that now was the time to make the changeover.

------
tomelders
I think the days of Apple having a rock star CEO are over. I genuinely believe
that a big part of Apple's success is down to Tim Cook, and I think the
company is in good hands. But I doubt he'll ever take to the stage or become
the face of Apple. That's no bad thing, but Apple has become a sort of
entertainment, a movie almost, that people love to watch. I think those days
are over and a new era of "mysterious CEO" is about to be ushered in. If
anything, Apple is about to get a lot more secretive.

------
thought_alarm
I was really hoping that such succession news would be delivered by the man
himself, if and when it happened. But I presume that's not going to happen.

All the best to Steve and his family.

------
johng
What a roller coaster Steve Jobs' life (and his stewardship of Apple) has
been. But, all in all, great job. Amazing job. Cheers to Steve.

------
staunch
A sad day. Fortunately, he'll continue to inspire the world of technology and
entrepreneurs for decades to come. Thanks Steve!

------
kaiuhl
Huge news. One can expect an overwhelming wave of punditry about this move,
but it'll be interesting to read their official press release and what his
role will be moving forward.

Surely he'll still be the arbiter of taste until he's dead?

------
jmjerlecki
The Edison of our generation. Sad to see Jobs go and hopefully his health has
not gotten worse. The greatest turnaround of a company ever – Steve will leave
a long legacy.

~~~
typicalrunt
Edison? Please...that's a bit much.

Edison personally created the majority of his inventions. Jobs has an entire
company/team behind him. And Jonathan Ives is a big help when it comes to the
sleek design of Apple products.

~~~
buff-a
_Edison personally created the majority of his inventions._

Citation needed.

From what I know of Edison he was skilled at teamwork, business and PR. Which
would make him more like Jobs.

~~~
Knack
Citiation needed

------
pkamb
I wonder how long <http://www.apple.com/pr/> will take to update for this.

~~~
alanfalcon
Apparently about 20 minutes.

Steve's letter is on the site now.

~~~
pkamb
I wonder how that delay reflects on the Apple org chart. Do the people behind
/pr/ have advance notice of big announcements? Does Steve send his letter to
them at the same time he sends it the Wall Street Journal?

~~~
philwelch
I'm pretty sure Apple's PR department is in charge of sending Steve's letter
to the Wall Street Journal.

~~~
pkamb
Probably. It just kind of reminded me of that thing where the original iPhone
hardware people supposedly had no idea what the software would look like, and
vice versa.

------
jacquesm
deleted, since: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2922792> said roughly the
same thing and 6 minutes earlier.

~~~
talbina
It's not Gruber who predicted this. Every single journalist, analyst, and
Apple fan boy predicted the same.

~~~
SoftwareMaven
Not every one (<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2134181> ). I hope all
goes well for Steve.

~~~
SoftwareMaven
Interesting (to me, anyway) that the pundit I referred to in the above linked
topic (Bob Cringely) _still_ doesn't think Cook is the replacement:
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2923808>

------
Knack
Apple is now worse then Microsoft ever was. Because they're more snaky in
putting the thumbscrews on the customers. The true face of Apple is an ugly
one. I'm not saying Google or Facebook or Microsoft don't focus on making
money on the expense of the customers and on the expense of the freedom of the
internet. But I really fail to understand why some of you guys seem to see
Steve Jobs as a hero. Are you aware that the direction Steve Jobs and all the
big companies are heading to is to force people to buy an app for 5 dollars to
write a comment on Hackker News? And as an extra premium they sell your
private data to allow other companies rise the prices to the max.

To me Apple has reached a new all time low as they sued Samsung with
photoshoped pictures as if Apple had invented the tablet. They made the first
great one, but they did not invent it.

EDIT: Typo

------
iand
End of an era definitely. No-one can deny that Jobs has had one of the the
most successful turnaround careers ever.

------
kellishaver
Though I believe the company will be fine, this kind of feels like the end of
an era. It's sad, as well, because it sounds very much like his reasons for
stepping down are health-related, which can't be good.

He's survived and built amazing things in the face of great illness, when a
lot of people would have given up. Sure, he had more financial resources than
most to put into that battle against cancer, but a large part of it still
comes down to determination and will. It would have been easy, several years
ago, to say "I'm too tired to do this anymore" when you've fought cancer and
don't need the paycheck. Someone like that doesn't step away from something
they love unless they feel they absolutely have to.

I just hope Steve and his family are given the respect and privacy they will
no doubt need and desire in the weeks and months ahead.

------
jianshen
As sad as this is, I really am looking forward to see how the company evolves
the culture that he's created.

------
ForrestN
I think there's a bit of contradiction in all of the hand-wringing about
whether or not Apple needs Steve to survive. Given that his health has been in
question for several years, and speculation about what will happen if he has
to leave, and given that he is a visionary, masterful auteur who guides
Apple's strategy so successfully, don't we trust him to have accounted for all
of this and developed a succession plan that continues Apple's success?

If there was really a dearth of innovators, of executors, of strategists at
Apple when he leaves, wouldn't he have worked to solve that problem? Great
CEOs are hirers and developers of great talent. I suspect Jobs has done as
good of a job setting up what happens after today as he has everything else.

------
stevenj
Thanks for all you've done, Steve.

------
AdamTReineke
John Gruber wrote that Steve Cook should succeed him last month.
<http://daringfireball.net/2011/07/succeeding_steve_jobs>

Edit: Yup, I meant Tim Cook... Doh!

~~~
thesteamboat
Perhaps you mean Tim Cook? Steve Cook is the famous computer scientist who
proved that SAT is NP-Complete.

------
pacomerh
CEO or not, this guy is capable of giving you some serious advice that can
change your life. Such quality products must come from people with good
intentions towards change.

------
plainOldText
When I first read the title I thought it was a joke. I was thinking how can a
joke be voted number 1 on HN. Reading through the other titles however made it
real. Well, I guess nothing lasts forever, and following Bill Gates, it is now
Steve Jobs' time to step down as the CEO.

The other week I was imagining how would Steve Jobs' office look like in the
new headquarters they are planning to build. I guess that doesn't hold
anymore. Well, we'll just move on.

------
dpio
Clearly, he was just as bummed about webOS as everyone else.

------
culturestate
I can always tell how big the media thinks a story is by how many unusual
places I see it reported. As I type this, "Apple's Steve Jobs steps down" is
in the headlines box on ESPN.com right between the little league world series
and a story about Tom Brady. I think that's a small but fitting tribute to a
man whose ideas and leadership have reached people and places beyond what any
of us could've imagined even 10 years ago.

------
arjn
The end of an era for Apple. However, this is hardly unexpected. He has been
very ill for a while now. Time for him to focus on himself and his family.

------
Jun8
Oh no!! This means his illness is now quite severe. There can be _no_
replacement to him.

A lot of people say it's hard working for him (my friends at Apple totally
dread meeting him by accident), he's egotistical, parks at a handicapped spot,
etc. etc. To those people, I give the following, attributed to Judy Garland:
""They say it's hard to work with Judy Garland...do you have any idea how hard
it is to BE Judy Garland?"

Indeed!

~~~
CamperBob
_A lot of people say it's hard working for him (my friends at Apple totally
dread meeting him by accident), he's egotistical, parks at a handicapped spot_

If pancreatic cancer doesn't get you a handicapped spot, I'd sure hate to have
what it _does_ take...

~~~
slowpoke
Sorry, but what? A handicapped spot is for people who, for example, have
difficulties walking, or need space to leave the car (wheelchairs). In what
way exactly does pancreatic cancer prevents one from using a regular parking
spot?

Besides which, cancer is an illness. Not a handicap.

It's fine if you like Steve Jobs or whatever - I agree he was, in some
aspects, an important person (though not in positive sense, but that's just my
humble opinion). But this pathological apologizing of his faults is plain and
simply ridiculous.

~~~
thebooktocome
From <http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr07.htm> :

"You may qualify for a DPplacard or DPplates if you have impaired mobility due
to having lost use of one or more lower extremities, or both hands, or have a
diagnosed disease that substantially impairs or interferes with mobility, or
one who is severely disabled to be unable to move without the aid of an
assistive devise."

So yes, illnesses can cause one to become disabled.

------
corin_
Remember that just because the market is closed, things still happen, and you
can keep an eye on the after hours price.

Edit: as pointed out below, after/pre-hoursm

~~~
krishna2
After hours trading is over too. <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=aapl> The best
indicator will probably be pre-trading-hours tomorrow.

~~~
krishna2
I am wrong. It is still trading after-hours. It's down about 6%.
<http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=aapl>

------
yesbabyyes
It's wise to do this now, in a controlled manner. All the same, it's going to
be interesting to see what happens with Apple in the long run.

------
dmerfield
Apple just confirmed Cook will replace Jobs as CEO.

~~~
puredemo
Well, yeah, it's in the article.

~~~
dmerfield
"I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as
CEO of Apple" != "Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple"

~~~
puredemo
Indeed, I should have said it was strongly insinuated in the article.

------
marquis
From the WSJ on Tim Cook: "people who know him don't consider him to be a
visionary". I'd be shocked to hear that Jobs hasn't been grooming his
replacement. Cook can keep Apple running for another couple of years, and I
expect to see someone else come up as CEO from within the ranks who shares
Steve's vision and ability to focus on what makes Apple successful.

~~~
angus77
Do visionaries "rise in the ranks"? Did Steve?

~~~
marquis
Good point. I guess I'm just hopeful the empire doesn't collapse, or if it
does we don't lose sight of what a good tech company can be capable of
producing (in terms of hard/software at least, itunes notwithstanding).

------
tyler_ball
Without my Mac I would not have learned how to code. I would not have been
able to find employment in Web Development, something I enjoy so much.

Without my many iPods over the years I would not be as huge a music fan as I
am now. I may not have learned how to play guitar, something I enjoy so much.

I would be completely lost without my iPhone. It makes me the smartest person
in the room.

Thanks Steve.

------
rhygar
This is about timing. AAPL became the most valuable company in the world
recently. The best way to quit is when you're on top.

~~~
hugh3
No, the best way to quit is when you're not dying.

~~~
rhygar
/rimshot

------
mkramlich
Apple just lost their greatest salesman. Luckily their products are so nice
they go along way to selling themselves.

~~~
krishna2
Hm...but the salesman was able to do his job year after year only because of
the awesome products. Rule #1 of marketing: Start with a gread product.

------
code_duck
The whole resurgence of Apple and the amazing products they've been making are
enough, but I'm truly impressed with Apple's early years. The Apple ][ was
such a standard in schools, and the first Macs were so unique (admitedly, I
like the C64 and Amiga a bit more...). Woz rocks, too.

------
jjm
Believe it or not, things can still happen for the better. This change could
continue the trend of success through new ideas. Had this not happened I would
have said that the peak if the product lifecycle was upon Apple anyway. Hope
this makes sense, typin on train from iPhone.

------
clu3
Very tough time for Apple ahead

"Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change
agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new" - Standford Commencement
speech 2005

So "the old" are Gates, Jobs,... (born circa 1950s) and "the new" will be
Brin, Page, Zuckerberg...

------
psychotik
I'm surprised there isn't enough mention of Jonathan Ive in commentary about
the future of decision making at Apple. I think he's got a lot of Steve's
aesthetic senses, and also has some of the same unquestioned
authority/credibility that Steve does.

------
sebkomianos
I really, and I mean REALLY, hope that his biography coming out on November 21
this year and his resignation today have nothing to do with his health.

In any way, thank you very much Steve, I guess you can leave your company
quite happy and satisfied. :)

------
g123g
For some reason this news is reminding me of the O Fortuna song.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Fortuna>

It is passing of an era and things will not be same at Apple or in the tech
industry after this.

------
losvedir
Aww, I was kind of hoping Steve Jobs would do something insanely huge and
visionary (in the way that only he can, it seems) with that massive stockpile
of cash Apple has.

Looks like it'll come out in dividends or some such run of the mill fashion.

------
artursapek
He was the biggest public figure behind Apple, though as an Ind. Design
student I'll be just as bummed when Johnny Ive steps down. I hope Steve still
shows up at the annual Apple Christmas con's, he's such a great presenter.

------
ricw
Nothing has changed in the short term, though lets hope that in the long term
his successors can keep innovating as much as Apple has under Jobs.

Most importantly though, I hope that Steve recovers soon from whatever might
be ailing him.

Somewhat sad times..

------
shn
If you read all the news you would think that the guy just passed away. Good
heavens! no. He's only 55. I think we'll see more from him, only different
than it used to be. It's life, ever changing...Thanks Steve!

------
Egregore
I don't like the closedness of iPhone and iPads, I prefer the more open
platforms, like Android. But I deeply regret Steve Jobs leaving, he is a
visionary, he did a lot of things for which he has my respect.

------
brianwillis
It's really hard to know what to say. Jobs' resignation definitely marks the
end of an era, and implies that his health is getting worse, but we all knew
that this day was going to come eventually.

------
redial
He took Apple from nearly bankruptcy to become one of the biggest, if not the
biggest company in the world. He never stopped changing the world, but best of
all, he retired on his own terms.

~~~
MikeCapone
Well, his health is probably forcing him, so it might not be his own terms,
but what he accomplished is still the benchmark for anyone else.

------
connex
Is there a good book out there dealing with how steve jobs actually evolved
from birth to the production of the Macintosh ? That´s the part of his life
that interests me most.

------
merubin75
"Jobs’s greatest creation isn’t any Apple product. It is Apple itself."

Source: John Gruber, Daring Fireball blog <http://shar.es/HUYIU>

------
Frenchie
There's a page "leaving card" to thank Steve Jobs for his work as CEO:
<http://www.plumpl.com/stevejobs>

------
dkrich
This is really sad, but with his official biography set to be released, and
now this, the writing is on the wall. I certainly hope he recovers, though.

------
tiles
I wonder if there was maybe some foresight in him having an official biography
approved shortly before he stepped down as CEO.

------
aidenn0
It's always tough when the former CEO is chairman of the board. Has the
feeling that daddy is looking over your shoulders...

------
craigmccaskill
I wonder if this has been timed specifically prior to a major product release
(iPhone 5) to help combat any stock drop.

------
RealGeek
I hope Steve would still show up at WWDC :)

------
mathattack
I have to admit I feel like his letter was more like Lou Gehrig than Michael
Jordan. I wish him the absolute best.

------
cpr
Truly the end of an epoch in computing, assuming his influence fades quickly
in a much reduced role at Apple.

------
navs
Sad to see him leave. Even sadder to see him so unwell. Latest pics of him are
gut wrenching.

------
g-garron
I hope we may still see him around, doing those great presentations. He is a
genius on that.

------
krishna2
So much for the AAPL is going to tank and time to short comments. The change
is a blip....

------
ww520
This is really sad. His health is failing or he won't resign. It's an end of
an era. :(

------
sinkercat
The showman, the leader, the visionary. Get well soon, Steve. We will miss
you.

------
typicalrunt
Wow there are 9 duplicate stories on HN right now.

Doesn't HN have a duplicate submission filter?

~~~
thematt
That's what upvoting is for. Let the people decide what is most interesting.

~~~
typicalrunt
Why downvote my question? It's a valid attempt to understand how HN filters
duplicate stories.

The dupes are also representative of the Internet at large. When a large story
breaks, tonnes of people rush out to be "the one" who broke it on their news
site.

------
davidcollantes
Sad day. He will be missed. I wish -- and hope -- he will get better.

------
ataaso
Why didn't he wait for the iPhone announcement?

------
tyty
Looks like some people are trying to capitalize on this:
<http://www.byestevejobs.com>

------
schme
During the time I've read HN I haven't once seen posts get this poetic and
sentimental. I wonder what's it like on the Apple side of things.

------
MetallicCloud

      >Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world...
    

Not exactly objective reporting is it?

~~~
funksta
It's a press release. The paragraph in question appears to be in all of
Apple's releases.

------
leeskye
San Franciscans are probably wandering the streets wondering if they're going
to get their iPhone5 before Christmas.

------
Tichy
Sad, awful feeling in the gut.

------
dataminer
I hope he gets well soon

------
tomelders
iQuit.

------
puredemo
This article is pretty vague on the details of 'why' he resigned. Does anyone
have more information?

All the best to Steve and his family..

~~~
AgentConundrum
To put it bluntly, he's dying. His health hasn't been good in a while[1], and
he's probably resigning to a) spend time with family before he goes, and b) to
limit the damage to the company when he does.

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs#Health_concerns>

~~~
puredemo
It's still pretty vague. He had the surgery to remove the tumor. Then an
unknown hormone problem? They a liver transplant?

What is he dying from exactly? Does anyone know?

~~~
lwat
That's private. It doesn't really concern us. All we need to know is that his
health issues are taking their toll and he recognizes that.

~~~
puredemo
Neuroendocrine Tumor/Islet Cell Carcinoma

------
leon_
I hope Apple will survive this. I don't want to develop for windows.

~~~
SandB0x
This is ridiculous. Do you honestly think the company will fall to pieces
because there's a new CEO, one who has been at the company since 1998 and has
worked closely with Steve Jobs? Is Apple's success entirely down to Jobs? What
about all the talented engineers and designers who actually design the
products and software?

~~~
gnaritas
You do recall what happened to Apple the last time Jobs left?

I think Apple will be fine, but those doubting do have a valid case to make.

~~~
j79
I believe the first time Jobs "left", it was due to management thinking they
knew better.

This time around, I'm hoping management was taking notes while Jobs was there.

------
miratom
Great unbiased journalism: "Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in
the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software."

~~~
chaz
That's not journalism -- that's straight from Apple's press release, which is
the whole article.

------
mdg
so is it eerily quiet on the streets of SF right now ?

~~~
aristus
Yes. But it's because everyone is at Burning Man.

------
benkulbertis
Good. (Downvotes please)

------
crizCraig
Cross site poll: What do you think will happen to Apple now that Steve Jobs
has resigned? <http://www.wepolls.com/p/2073012>

------
tonio09
<blockquote> Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world,
along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the
digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has
reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and
has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media
and computing devices. </blockquote>

I just wanted to highlight this segment as a perfect example of media
neutrality.

~~~
kschrader
It's part of every press release issued by Apple.

------
shoota
Time to short AAPL.

~~~
krishna2
Hmm..the time to do that would've been earlier today (before trading closed).
If you do tomorrow, the pre-trading hours, the floor traders (and options
traders and hence probably the institutional clients) would've an advantage of
half-an-hour before us retail investors. So the opening price itself will be
low enough. From then on, it would just be the crowd/herd movement. As Buffet
said, "the stock market is a popularity voting contest in the short term, but
a weighing machine in the long term".

~~~
swah
Do you recommend reading "The intelligent investor"?

~~~
krishna2
Very highly.

------
toblender
Don't worry people, I'll be stepping in as CEO soon.

------
taylorbuley
Tim Cook has reportedly been given the nod, but I'm still sort of hoping that
somewhere Zuck is updating his resume

~~~
kreek
Nice one centurion. Like it. Like it.

------
baby
"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS
X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music
revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the
mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently
introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing
devices. "

yeah mmm okay, this article is biased.

~~~
RyanGWU82
This isn't an article, it's a press release.

