[This post was originally written on my JotSpot site after Apple released it's 2008 Q3 earnings. I have updated it in a few places as I migrated it to this site.]
All the press surrounding Apple's 38% growth last quarter, and it's arrival as the 3rd largest computer manufacturer in the world has been black-clouded by the mystery surrounding Mr. Jobs health. The story of Job's recurring illness continues the top Apple story on all tech pages. Apple's success shrouded in the potential demise should Mr. Jobs not bounce back.
Wired's Briand X Chen's story on Jobs contained the chilling sick closing sentence from Andy Hargreaves, consumer electronics analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, who was quoted for Mr. Chen's close:
"I'm thinking in three months, assuming Steve Jobs doesn't die, people that take advantage of that opportunity [of investing in Apple's stock] will be pretty happy," Hargreaves said.
That's a real miss for the human side of the story. And it's a horribly mean statement if you are connected to Apple or Jobs as so many of us are through out joy of Apple's products. And I expect more integrity from WIRED. WIRED rocks!
Well, Brian X Chen and Andy Hargreaves I am counting on Steve not dying in the next three months. In fact I am predicting that Jobs and Apple will continue to live a long a prosperous life.
My hat goes off to Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's senior vice president and chief financial officer, who said, "He has no plan to leave Apple. Steve's health is a private matter."
And my rapier comes out to the "business only" perspective of so many journalists that have been covering the story. And to the business, I am sure the innovation and product pipeline is still being filled at Apple, even if Jobs is vacationing in Salyulita Mexico this week. There are a lot of folks working to make the iPod, iPhone and Apple computers better and cooler.
Question: Is the press obsessing that Microsoft will go down the tubes now that Bill Gates has left the building? Is Balmer now the MS visionary to lead Vista back to the path? [Oh, sorry, I didn't mean that as a trick question.] What or who can lead MS back onto the path of innovation and leadership? Maybe something really cool is in the MS pipeline for Windows 7 or XP SP-6, whichever comes first.
@jmacofearth
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