Jobs Leaves Job
I must be the last journalist to say something about Steve Jobs' resignation. Fortunately I have a good excuse -- I was on vacation last week! Kinda hard to write a newsletter or blog from the deck of a 20-foot center console.
I'm not sure I have all that much original to say. On a personal level, it is sad to imagine what Mr. Jobs is going through. He has been private in the matter but is clearly battling health issues. 'Nuff said as I don't care to grimly speculate.
It is a huge loss for Apple and we'll have to see how it'll do. When Bill Gates left Microsoft the impact was actually fairly marginal.
I think Sun lost a step when it lost Scott McNealy, a truly radical thinker -- not always successful but always willing to try something different.
I think Jobs blends the best of McNealy's risk taking and Bill Gates pure practicality. Apple has enough in the market and in the pipeline to do just fine -- for a while. But I doubt its future won't be as great without the guiding hand of Jobs.
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, for reason, didn't comment on the Jobs. I guess their moms told them as kids that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Paul Allen had no such misgivings, and posted a heartfelt Twitter message. Allen has fought his own health issues and so understands what Mr. Jobs is going through. Allen, in an understatement, called Jobs "one of the greatest innovators of our industry."
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/29/2011 at 1:18 PM