Will Steve Jobs be returning to the helm at Apple? This is the CEO's third medical leave. Strategic News Service publisher Mark Anderson tells KPLU's Dave Meyer that Jobs probably isn't coming back this time. Jobs's previous leaves involved very serious conditions (pancreatic cancer, liver transplant) that don't bode well for his return to an active role.
When Steve Jobs resumed control of the company in 1997, Mark Anderson recommended his subscribers buy Apple stock. Today, he's advising them to sell. Apple recently reported its quarterly profits were up 78%. Mark says he expects the company to continue to do well for the next year or two, but eventually Jobs's absence will be felt.
Why is Jobs so important?
Mark says:
"I happen to believe he really is that vital, because I don't see anybody else at Apple or frankly, anywhere in the world, who's as good as Steve at making products."
Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will be managing Apple during Jobs's medical leave. Mark says he's a brilliant business manager, but not the kind of guy who can come up with products such as the iPhone. According to Mark, "The skills for being COO are radically different from those of being a product visionary."
