Another such victory over the Romans, and we are undone
Phyrrus in Plutarch’s Lives
The news hit me like a small pile of Gold bricks: Apple CEO Steven Paul Jobs has resigned and Tim Cook is now the new CEO as stated in the Reuters article entitled “Steve Jobs resigns from Apple, Cook becomes CEO”, published Wednesday August 24, 2011 7:53pm EDT By Poornima Gupta, Reuters and the article “Steve Jobs steps down from Apple”, published AUGUST 24, 2011 3:45 PM PDT By Josh Lowensohn, CNET News – Apple.
I would post other News references but this was the one I saw first and it’s to the point: everybody knew this was coming, the markets reacted sharply and speculation is rife ranging from his deteriorating health to the recent success of Apple in becoming No. 1 in the PC Market.
No guessing, just straight facts!
And the tweets of surprise just keep pouring in, many of which you can read in the article “Tech luminaries and others tweet about Steve Jobs”, published AUGUST 24, 2011 7:43 PM PDT By Boonsri Dickinson, CNET News - BUSINESS TECH.
So I shall do my readers a favour and not add to the speculation as his resignation and now appointment as Board Chairman with Tim Cook as CEO is now fact as stated in the article “Text of resignation letter from Steve Jobs”, published AUGUST 24, 2011 3:52 PM PDT by CNET News Staff – Apple and the article “Breaking: Steve Jobs resigns. Tim Cook new Apple CEO”, published August 24, 2011, 3:42pm PT by Om Malik, GigaOM.
Instead, I will point out that Apple’s stellar superstar CEO leaves behind a solid fourteen (14) year history of performance as evident from his achievements since returning back to Apple in 1997AD after being originally ousted during Apple’s downturn as chronicled in the article “10 products that defined Steve Jobs' career”, published August 25 2011 by PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo News.
His history makes a colorful Wikipedia post! Coincidentally, 1997AD is the year I went to UTECH (University of Technology) to do my Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunications (1997 to 2000). Back then the PC Industry had a newness about it that I followed online as well as in Popular Electronics magazines that I purchased augmented with borrowed and read copies of Wired Magazine while I boarded off-Campus in Kingston.
It was Apple vs Microsoft back then……
Pre-1997AD was his fall from grace from Apple Computers the company he and his partner Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak founded (more or less!) in a garage back in 1977 to make Personal Computers. He got booted out of his own company during a computer slump in 1984AD, the year of the Apple Mackintosh. In his hiatus, Steve Jobs spun off two (2) companies NeXT and PiXaR, the influences of which could be seen after his return in 1997AD.
A year later in 1998AD, the Apple iMac came out and thus began the fourteen (14) year journey of Apple back to the top, culminating with the Apple iPad in 2010AD. Both of which, incidentally, are All-in-One Computers, BOTH modeled on a previous Apple products and BOTH still being upgraded with each yearly refresh!
And where does he leave Apple?
At the very top of the game, people, with DisplaySearch confirming their 21.1% Marketshare US Dominance in Shipments the Second Quarter of 2011AD as stated in the article “Apple grabs top spot in mobile PC market from HP”, published AUGUST 18, 2011 6:24 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News – Apple.
Not to mention jump starting the “Post-Pc Era” as encapsulated in the Geezam Blog article entitled “Are we witnessing Laptop and PC Extinction?” with the Apple iPad and starting the smartphone revolution with their high quality smartphone, the Apple iPhone as stated in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life”.
Even now, the innovation has not ceased.
The Apple iMac, the device that change the fortunes of Apple and recently refreshed to include a ThunderBolt Port, looks set to change the Television Industry in 2012AD, as rumours abound of Apple planning to make an Apple Television Set to mate with its Streaming Apple iTV as stated in my blog article entitled “Apple Television Set, a docking cradle for the Apple iTV - Super 8 A Gift for Christmas”. At that point, the product ecosystem for iOS would be near complete.
A point even GigaOM Erica Ogg tacitly supports in her article “The end of the PC era”, published August 18, 2011, 2:00pm PT By Erica Ogg, GigaOM and IBM Senior Engineer Mark Dean, a co-designed of the first IBM PC as stated in the article “IBM executive says PC era is in its twilight”, published AUGUST 10, 2011 9:20 PM PDT By Brooke Crothers, CNET News - NANOTECH - THE CIRCUITS BLOG.
Apple now faces new enemies both those who infringe on her IP (Intellectual Property) in terms of the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad as stated in my blog article entitled “Apple blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab in EU - Dancehall Hero's Revenge of the Sith” as well as in the pervasiveness of Google Android OS.
Google is now experiencing market dominance in both smartphones and Tablets as stated in my blog article entitled “Android Tablets Marketshare gain over the Apple iPad - Clear and Present Danger”.
Here’s a bottle of Guinness to Apple CEO Steven Paul Jobs on an innings well played, as he leaves Apple in a position for success for the lofty heights as Apple Chairman of the Board Rihanna I Drink to That!