Steve Jobs reportedly worked on campus for his final day as CEO
For many of us who were surprised by yesterday’s announcement that Steve Jobs was resigning as CEO of Apple, our immediate thought was that his health might have deteriorated to the point that he was no longer able to work on the Apple campus in Cupertino, CA.
However, a source reported to Bloomberg Businessweek that Jobs spent the entire day on the Apple campus before attending the board meeting where he tendered his resignation as CEO and accepted his post as Apple chairman.
The source, who Bloomberg Businessweek reported as “not authorized to speak about his health,” said that Jobs was “weak” but that the resignation was “not indicative of a sudden downturn.” Jobs has apparently been housebound recently, but his work yesterday and his declaration that he plans on being an active board chairman seem to point to a future where Steve Jobs still has his eyes on the fortunes of Apple.
Official Steve Jobs’ Biography Will Include Resignation Details; But Will Still Be Available On November 21st
PCMag reports that Steve Jobs’ eagerly awaited official biography titled Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson will include details about his resignation as Apple’s CEO yesterday.
According to PCMag, there will be no change in the release date of the book. So it will be available for download and shipping from November 21st this year, releasing nearly 3 months before its previously announced March 2012 launch date.
PCMag reports:
“Publisher Simon & Schuster said the highly anticipated tell-all biography, written by acclaimed biographer Walter Isaacson, will include Wednesday night’s announcement from Jobs’ point of view.
Simon & Schuster spokeswoman Tracey Guest told PCMag that Isaacson “speaks to Jobs regularly and is still working on the final chapter of the book.”
The book is based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs over a period of two years, which is what sets it apart from other biographies of the Apple CEO. In addition to the interviews with Jobs, the author Walter Isaacson has also spoken to more than a hundred of Jobs’ relatives, friends, colleagues and competitors.
In case you haven’t pre-ordered the book, you can
A list of Steve Jobs’s best quotes
The Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Valentino-DeVries has published a list of Steve Jobs’s great quotes. Steve’s intelligence, salesmanship and significant public speaking skills have produced several gems, and Jennifer has listed some of our favorites.
Highlights from her list include:
“It will go down in history as a turning point for the music industry. This is landmark stuff. I can’t overestimate it!” [On the iTunes Music Store, Fortune, May 12, 2003]
“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” [NBC Nightly News, May 2006]
There are so many wonderful quotes in the WSJ article, and we suggest you read them all. One of my favorites is the line which, according to lore, Steve used to lure John Sculley away from Pepsi Co.:
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?”
Steve Jobs Begins Godfather Duties
Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple. This, of course, means that the company has had its spirit broken, its intellect blunted, its worth gutted. Except it doesn’t, quite.
The Steve didn’t nurture this company from near-collapse to global powerhouse with snap decisions and daily briefings. No, he and his immensely capable team did it with design, forethought, and consistently staying a step or two ahead of the other guy. That’s not something that changes overnight.
He may be leaving the office, but he’s not leaving the company. Apple still belongs to Jobs — and we’ll know it when that’s no longer the case. And while he may be turning over the operational reins to his protégé, I have the feeling he’ll be making it clear who the Don is.
Realistically speaking, this is a fairly standard step-down, of course, and many former CEOs take up a leadership position on boards and advisory committees after they’ve taken their turn at the helm. Jobs is stepping down because he is no longer capable of meeting his “duties and expectations.”
It turns out that being CEO of one of the world’s largest and most influential companies is a difficult job, and may not mix well with his other, more personal responsibilities. What those responsibilities are, whether it’s sickness as rumored, or simply a desire to spend more time with his family, isn’t exactly material. He’s no longer able to be the CEO, so he’s leaving. We can safely leave it at that.
What duties, then, can he be expected to fulfill?
Apple planning a big party to open 100th overseas store in Hong Kong
When Apple opens the new Hong Kong Apple Store in late September or early October, it will be cause for a huge celebration.
The store will be the 100th overseas store for the highly profitable chain, and apparently Apple is planning to pull out all the stops for a flashy opening.
M.I.C. Gadget is reporting that the huge, glass-encased flagship store in the IFC Mall is moving closer to completion every day, and had pictures (since removed) of Apple’s marketing director for mainland China standing outside of the construction location with other employees. The site also reports that the opening will be a three-day-long party, fitting for the debut of the huge facility.
The store was originally scheduled to open on September 24th, and as recently as the 3Q earnings call it was mentioned that the store would open during Apple’s 2011 fourth quarter (ending September 30). However, construction delays have apparently pushed that date back into early October.
