Jobs showing the white iPhone 4 at the 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
On Wednesday afternoon, August 24, 2011, Steve Jobs, 56, resigned as the CEO of technology superpower Apple, Inc.
“I have always said that 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,” Jobs said at the Apple World Wide Developers Conference back in June.
Jobs helped co-found the company in the late 1970′s when he and several other men developed and marketed the first line of commercially successful computers, the Apple II series. In 1984, however, Jobs lost a power struggle with Apple’s Board of Directors and founded his own company, NeXT. When Apple bought NeXT in 1996, Jobs was reunited with Apple, and became its CEO a year later. But despite being CEO of one of the largest tech giants in the world, Jobs is also a board member for the Walt Disney Company.
During Jobs absence from Apple, the company suffered, as profits plunged because of unpopular software. When Jobs returned to the company, however, he helped turn the company around, releasing the iMac in 1998, followed by the iPod and iPhone in the 2000′s.
“The man has had a very full life, from an adopted college dropout to one of the most innovative and influential people on the planet. He’s practically is rolling around in money,” freshman Aubtin Heydari said. “Frankly I think he just wants to use his time left on this planet to explore and relax, which in my opinion is a good idea and shows that even one of the richest and most powerful people in the world is just as human as everyone else.”
Upon resigning this afternoon, Jobs “strongly recommended” that current Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook be named as the next CEO. Jobs will not vanish completely from the tech scene, though; he was unanimously elected to the Apple Board of Directors this afternoon after he tendered his resignation.
While many believe Jobs’ resignation signifies the end of an era, some are more skeptical.
“I don’t really care that much. I’m not a die hard apple fan, and I’m sure he can be replaced,” senior Wayson Lee said.
Jobs’ resignation has raised questions about his health, for some think poor health could be the reason he resigned. Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, and underwent a live transplant two years ago. Many, such as Sony Corps. CEO Howard Stringer, point out that Jobs’ ability to retain the CEO position despite having one of the grisliest forms of cancer really speaks to his’ passion and commitment to Apple.
“I think his brilliance has been well-documented, but what gets forgotten is the bravery with which he’s confronted his illness. For him to achieve this much success under these circumstances doubles his legacy,” Stringer said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Mac’s and PC’s have always been at odds with each other; their epic battles have to be on a top ten list for the 2000′s somewhere. But no matter where you fall on the computing spectrum, no one can deny the impact Steve Jobs has had on the computing world.
Done. Way to be EIC. Crank those stories out.
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