Steve Jobs Stepping Down From Apple - Sad End of an Era

Last week, Steve Jobs announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple Computer.

I felt sad when I heard the news because of his recent history of pancreatic cancer and having a liver transplant. If he stays alive, and can contribute as chairman of Apple, then it is ok. But, I'm worried that he might be terminal. I hope I'm wrong.

Apple ran into trouble after Jobs left the first time. But, because of that experience, I have heard that Jobs has gone out of his way to imprint his philosophy into the company.

I really admire Steve Jobs - he has two great qualities for success:

1. He can anticipate what people will want.

2. He practices zen minimalist design - The key isn't what the device does, it's what it doesn't do.

This last quality is especially at risk, now that Jobs has stepped down. It's hard to consistently exercise restraint, and push back on engineers, sales people, and marketers who want to cram in the latest and greatest features found in competitor's products.

Apple under Jobs didn't invent the mp3 music player or the smart phone - but they conquered these markets by concentrating on a few essential requirements and perfected them. These self-imposed limits benefited the consumer by making the devices simple and robust to operate.

Apple's products compared to the competitors' are like haiku vs. serious prose. They touch you like a light breeze and then leave you free, instead of enveloping you.

There's no straining or effort required to integrate Apple's products into your life.