While Steve is back at Apple, things will likely never be the same

The intensity and focus of Steve Jobs are legend.  I remember a long ago briefing where we were preparing for Steve's hoped for attendance.  Someone said that he will talk about iMovie no matter what the customers want to hear.  iMovie was what Steve was focused on at the time, and sure enough we managed to have an iMovie discussion during an enterprise briefing.

The iMovie discussion did not bother the customers.  They were just happy that Steve had chosen to show up.  That is a little like the situation we face right now, Apple and many in the technology world are just happy to have Steve show up and do whatever he chooses to do.

The reality is that even Steve Jobs is not immortal. His recent experience with a liver transplant has to have reminded him of that fact.  While I am part of the chorus of people happy to have Steve back, my mind tells me that it would be very hard for him to have the same intensity that he has shown over the years.

Obviously I am not going to be interviewing Steve Jobs on his health, but I have to wonder if that laser-like focus that he demonstrated at Apple in recent years might be his own worst enemy.

My first question would be whether or not Steve's intensity for technology has dimmed given his health problems?  After all, even Steve Jobs has to worry about his own health given the treatment that he has been through.  Can Steve have the same degree of focus that he has shown for products in the past when in the back of his mind his own health has to have a place at the table?

I would think it would be very hard.  I would also wonder why he would want to do it?

At this point I think whatever time Steve can devote to Apple without harming his health is something for which we should all be thankful.  Steve Jobs running at 10% is probably better than most people running at 100%.

Then there is the matter of Tim Cook.  Apple has been run perfectly well in Steve's absence.  Tim has demonstrated that he has a steady hand on the rudder.  In fact Tim has been responsible for most of the day to day operations of the company for many years.  Steve's being away has probably allowed Tim some additional freedom in managing Apple.  He certainly appears to have made no mistakes.

Apple's measured response to the industry's free fall on laptop pricing is a typical Tim Cook move.  He is more apt to tinker with things until he gets them right than to try something unusual.  My guess is that Tim Cook is exactly what Apple needs right now.

While no one can predict the effect of Steve Jobs leaving on Apple, I suspect it might be less than all of us have been guessing.  Perhaps Steve has one more thing to share with us before he rides into the sunset, but I doubt that any of us would be worse off if that next great thing does not make it out of Steve's mind into the Apple Stores.

We all know that there has never been a shortage of ideas at Apple, the challenge has always been picking the best ones and making them insanely great. Will there ever be another person better at doing that than Steve Jobs?  The answer is probably not, but does that mean Apple will fail in the near future?  I do not see that in the cards.

In a certain respect Steve being gone from Apple or even at Apple in a reduced capacity might be good for Apple.  A lot of very bright people left Apple because of the culture.  I can see Apple's management opening up a little when every decision does not have to go through Steve. My guess is that Tim Cook knows that he is not a hardware guru.  This might mean room at Apple for some additional talent.

Will Apple be able to sustain its growth?  I think the answer is yes.  I seriously doubt that Windows 7 will be much of threat to Apple especially if Apple continues to take incremental steps to deal with the pricing issue. Incremental steps are right up Tim Cook's alley.

I suspect this is Steve Jobs' sunset appearance at Apple.  Whether Steve's return lasts a few months or even a year, I think the time has come to say that Apple will survive and perhaps even thrive with Steve in retirement.

This is summer, so that is about all the intensity I can give to Apple unless they want to start sending me paychecks again.  I would rather watch folks fall in love with the Crystal Coast than speculate on someone else's health.

Time for me to get back to the heat and the water.  Still lots of great places for sale on the Southern Outer Banks.