Steve Jobs resigns, here's the reaction
Steve Jobs has resigned from his role as CEO of Apple, a move bound to rock the tech world. So what's the reaction from those in the know?
Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive of Apple, in a move that's sure to rock the tech world. So what's the word on the Web? Read on for reactions from around the Internet.
Walt Mossberg, technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal, pointed out that Jobs' resignation is unusually meaningful: "Most people are lucky if they can change the world in one important way, but Jobs, in multiple stages of his business career, changed global technology, media and lifestyles in multiple ways on multiple occasions."
"He also insisted on high quality and had the guts to leave out features others found essential, and to kill technologies," Mossberg wrote.
Meanwhile, speaking to Bloomberg, outspoken Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was full of praise for Jobs' approach to product design: "He... thinks very much about getting technology out of the picture. From the very start until today, it's: 'How do you make something seem like it's not really a piece of technology in the way that you have to learn all these complicated, geek techie steps to get things done?'"
"Steve's going to go down in history as the most important technical leader ever," Wozniak said.
Prominent Google exec Vic Gundotra shared an anecdote on Google+, telling of the Sunday he received an urgent call from Jobs, who was unhappy with the yellow gradient in the Google logo when rendered on the iPhone.
"It was a lesson I'll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday," wrote Gundotra.
What's next?
The question on everyone's lips is: can Apple succeed without Jobs at the helm?
Nobody seems to be panicking yet. Cult of Mac writer Leander Kahney reckons Steve's personality traits have basically become Apple's business model, and are ingrained in the company itself. With Jobs out of the equation, the company may continue to function as if he were still there, barking orders.
"Jobs' perfectionism, for example, has created a system at Apple for exhaustively prototyping everything the company does," Kahney wrote.
Not everyone is so optimistic. New York Times tech columnist David Pogue tweeted: "I agree with you all that Apple is teeming with geniuses. But Jobs added a single, pure vision that will be tough to maintain by committee."
You're probably wondering what Arnold Schwarzenegger has to say. He offered the following on Twitter: "Steve Jobs is one of California's greatest innovators. Very few achieved his impact over the last 50 years and probably the next 100 years." We're not sure that sentence makes sense, but we know better than to argue with Arnie.
As for our reaction? Steve was a big personality, who made an already fascinating industry that much more exciting. The tech world will be considerably duller without him in charge, and we wish him all the best.
We want your reactions. Tell us how you feel about Jobs' departure in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall. We've also opened a Facebook poll, in which you can vote on whether you think Apple will continue to succeed without Steve.