A Few Thoughts On Apple’s 2011, Stock, Tim Cook, And The Future

A good post from Siegler. And he goes further through the future and stocks. Read it all!

A post from TechCrunch by MG Siegler has the whole story. Here is a part:

As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence from the company, while remaining on as CEO. As I’m the guy around these parts who is known for writing about Apple, I figured I’d weigh in on some of the high level ramifications of this. I don’t plan to write about Jobs’ health often, as quite frankly, the idea of going on and on with endless speculation about someone who is clearly quite sick doesn’t appeal to me at all. The same would be true if it were the head of Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc.
But that’s not to say there’s no story here. Of course there is. Jobs is the head of the most valuable technology company in the world. They’re a public company with many shareholders who have the right to know certain information about the future of that company. And there is no denying that Jobs, perhaps more so than the head of any other company, is extremely important to that future. So what does his absence mean?
2011
Well, of course, we’ve seen this before. When Jobs took a medical leave of absence in 2009, the initial reactions were unsurprisingly gloomy. The end result was quite different though. After weathering the initial stock hit, Apple was able to maneuver itself to near record-highs by the time Jobs returned. Apple did this with a steady stream of product updates, such as iPhone OS 3, the iPhone 3GS, and the unveiling of OS X Snow Leopard — and flat-out execution.
Guess what we’re about to see in 2011? Another stream of product updates. And actually, what will likely be a much stronger stream than in 2009. We already know about the Verizon iPhone (which Apple COO Tim Cookwas on hand to unveil last week — more on that in a second) which will launch next month. But we’re very likely to see the iPad 2 in the coming months as well. The iPad 1 was a blockbuster product for the company. If anything, Apple is known for relatively weak initial product offerings, followed by much stronger secondary iterations. So what happens when they start so strong with a first crack? We’re about to find out.
Likewise, the iPhone 5 would seem to be a lock for the June timeframe because, well, that’s what happens every year. The early rumors of a dual-core processor and new design sound promising.
These products are likely locked and loaded with or without Jobs around.
The same is undoubtedly true for Mac desktop and notebook updates. While perhaps not as revolutionary as the aforementioned products, you know they’re coming and will help Apple’s bottom line in a major way. Same with the iPod later in the year as well, if Jobs isn’t back by then.
Cook
But having products ready to go is one thing. It’s another to still be able to execute a successful launch. The key there is Cook.
When Jobs announced his 2009 leave, he appointed Cook as the man in charge of day-to-day operations at Apple. The same is true this time around. And that should hardly be surprising given not only how well Apple handled that initial storm, but also how Apple works even when Jobs is around. It’s widely believed that while Jobs has the ultimate say on most things, Cook already handles many of the key operations of the company that keep it a lean and well-oiled machine.
A hugely underrated part of what makes Apple Apple is how well they’re able to manage their supply chains and inventory. That is all Cook. And that’s exactly why when he made around $60 million in compensation last year, no one blinked an eye. He’s likely worth every penny. And then some.
Even before today’s news, there was a lot of talk once again about how Apple needs to have a firm CEO succession plan in place. Apple rejects that idea (though, of course, it will be even harder to now). But it should already be abundantly clear. If and when Jobs does eventually leave the company, Tim Cook is the man who will be in charge.