New iPad launch in March 2011

NEW YORK: March Madness could take on a whole new meaning if Apple gives the world another iPad next week.

Apple Inc is expected to unveil the second generation of its wildly successful media Tablet, widening its headstart against competitors just starting to sell their first Tablet computers.

The Cupertino, California-based company e-mailed invitations to a media event in San Francisco on Wednesday that show a calendar page with the corner peeling away to reveal an iPad underneath.

The large "2" on the calendar page denotes the event's March 2 date, but is also a hint that Apple is about to announce the follow-up to the original iPad.

The iPad, about the size of a large book, has been likened to an overgrown iPhone or iPod touch, as it is powered by similar software and can run the same applications, or "apps."

But it has a bigger screen that makes reading e-mail messages, surfing the Web and watching movies easier on the eyes.

With a starting price of US$499 (RM1,600), it's less expensive than many computers and, at 1.5lbs, it also weighs less. Unlike small, inexpensive laptops such as netbooks, the iPad turns on instantly, so people don't have to wait through a sluggish boot-up.

And the iPad also lasts about 10 hours unplugged, making it ideal for travellers and other people on the go.

Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in its first nine months on sale, including 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the October-December quarter - about a million more for the quarter than analysts were expecting.

Since the iPad's launch, other consumer electronics makers have been scrambling to develop Tablets of their own. For example, Samsung Electronics Co began selling the Galaxy Tab last year, and Motorola Mobility Inc's Xoom has just gone on sale. Many of these new Tablets run Google Inc's Android software.

The iPad is the first Tablet computer to win over mainstream consumers. A decade earlier, PC makers were selling Tablets that ran Windows, the same operating systems found on most fully-fledged PCs.

While some businesses bought them, they never sold well among consumers. These Tablets were heavier and had shorter battery lives. They were also more difficult to use as touchscreen devices, as Windows was meant to be used with a mouse and keyboard.

As usual, Apple has not said anything about the highly anticipated next version of the iPad, leaving rumours to swirl unchecked online.

Some bloggers have speculated that the new iPad will have a front-facing camera, which would allow people to hold video chats using services such as Skype.

If that were the case, its design would more closely match the iPhone 4, which went on sale last June with a front-facing camera and Apple's own video-chatting software, called FaceTime.

Others have speculated that the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the original, and will come with a bigger built-in speaker.

Also on Wednesday, Apple shareholders rejected a proposal that called for the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive.

The rejection came a month after Apple CEO Steve Jobs went on an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems - an absence that could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

Apple announced the preliminary vote on the non-binding proposal at its annual shareholders meeting, but did not provide a breakdown. - AP

New iPad launch in March 2011

NEW YORK: March Madness could take on a whole new meaning if Apple gives the world another iPad next week.

Apple Inc is expected to unveil the second generation of its wildly successful media Tablet, widening its headstart against competitors just starting to sell their first Tablet computers.

The Cupertino, California-based company e-mailed invitations to a media event in San Francisco on Wednesday that show a calendar page with the corner peeling away to reveal an iPad underneath.

The large "2" on the calendar page denotes the event's March 2 date, but is also a hint that Apple is about to announce the follow-up to the original iPad.

The iPad, about the size of a large book, has been likened to an overgrown iPhone or iPod touch, as it is powered by similar software and can run the same applications, or "apps."

But it has a bigger screen that makes reading e-mail messages, surfing the Web and watching movies easier on the eyes.

With a starting price of US$499 (RM1,600), it's less expensive than many computers and, at 1.5lbs, it also weighs less. Unlike small, inexpensive laptops such as netbooks, the iPad turns on instantly, so people don't have to wait through a sluggish boot-up.

And the iPad also lasts about 10 hours unplugged, making it ideal for travellers and other people on the go.

Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in its first nine months on sale, including 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the October-December quarter - about a million more for the quarter than analysts were expecting.

Since the iPad's launch, other consumer electronics makers have been scrambling to develop Tablets of their own. For example, Samsung Electronics Co began selling the Galaxy Tab last year, and Motorola Mobility Inc's Xoom has just gone on sale. Many of these new Tablets run Google Inc's Android software.

The iPad is the first Tablet computer to win over mainstream consumers. A decade earlier, PC makers were selling Tablets that ran Windows, the same operating systems found on most fully-fledged PCs.

While some businesses bought them, they never sold well among consumers. These Tablets were heavier and had shorter battery lives. They were also more difficult to use as touchscreen devices, as Windows was meant to be used with a mouse and keyboard.

As usual, Apple has not said anything about the highly anticipated next version of the iPad, leaving rumours to swirl unchecked online.

Some bloggers have speculated that the new iPad will have a front-facing camera, which would allow people to hold video chats using services such as Skype.

If that were the case, its design would more closely match the iPhone 4, which went on sale last June with a front-facing camera and Apple's own video-chatting software, called FaceTime.

Others have speculated that the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the original, and will come with a bigger built-in speaker.

Also on Wednesday, Apple shareholders rejected a proposal that called for the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive.

The rejection came a month after Apple CEO Steve Jobs went on an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems - an absence that could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

Apple announced the preliminary vote on the non-binding proposal at its annual shareholders meeting, but did not provide a breakdown. - AP

New iPad launch in March 2011

NEW YORK: March Madness could take on a whole new meaning if Apple gives the world another iPad next week.

Apple Inc is expected to unveil the second generation of its wildly successful media Tablet, widening its headstart against competitors just starting to sell their first Tablet computers.

The Cupertino, California-based company e-mailed invitations to a media event in San Francisco on Wednesday that show a calendar page with the corner peeling away to reveal an iPad underneath.

The large "2" on the calendar page denotes the event's March 2 date, but is also a hint that Apple is about to announce the follow-up to the original iPad.

The iPad, about the size of a large book, has been likened to an overgrown iPhone or iPod touch, as it is powered by similar software and can run the same applications, or "apps."

But it has a bigger screen that makes reading e-mail messages, surfing the Web and watching movies easier on the eyes.

With a starting price of US$499 (RM1,600), it's less expensive than many computers and, at 1.5lbs, it also weighs less. Unlike small, inexpensive laptops such as netbooks, the iPad turns on instantly, so people don't have to wait through a sluggish boot-up.

And the iPad also lasts about 10 hours unplugged, making it ideal for travellers and other people on the go.

Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in its first nine months on sale, including 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the October-December quarter - about a million more for the quarter than analysts were expecting.

Since the iPad's launch, other consumer electronics makers have been scrambling to develop Tablets of their own. For example, Samsung Electronics Co began selling the Galaxy Tab last year, and Motorola Mobility Inc's Xoom has just gone on sale. Many of these new Tablets run Google Inc's Android software.

The iPad is the first Tablet computer to win over mainstream consumers. A decade earlier, PC makers were selling Tablets that ran Windows, the same operating systems found on most fully-fledged PCs.

While some businesses bought them, they never sold well among consumers. These Tablets were heavier and had shorter battery lives. They were also more difficult to use as touchscreen devices, as Windows was meant to be used with a mouse and keyboard.

As usual, Apple has not said anything about the highly anticipated next version of the iPad, leaving rumours to swirl unchecked online.

Some bloggers have speculated that the new iPad will have a front-facing camera, which would allow people to hold video chats using services such as Skype.

If that were the case, its design would more closely match the iPhone 4, which went on sale last June with a front-facing camera and Apple's own video-chatting software, called FaceTime.

Others have speculated that the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the original, and will come with a bigger built-in speaker.

Also on Wednesday, Apple shareholders rejected a proposal that called for the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive.

The rejection came a month after Apple CEO Steve Jobs went on an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems - an absence that could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

Apple announced the preliminary vote on the non-binding proposal at its annual shareholders meeting, but did not provide a breakdown. - AP

Quick review of XtremeMac Tango TRX

The XtremeMac Tango TRX 2.1 Bluetooth audio system allows users of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (2nd gen) to stream their favourite songs wirelessly to the device.

Manufactured by Imation, the TRX also has a dock to hold and charge the iPhone or iPod Touch.
The audio system's two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer produce clear and dynamic sound, the company claimed.

The TRX also has five buttons for controlling playback, bass, treble and other features directly.
You can also control the device using the bundled infrared remote or with a Tango TRX application that can be downloaded from the App Store for free.



The app turns the iPod, iPhone and iPad into a virtual remote and is identical to the physical remote in looks and features. The app also comes with a five-band equaliser that allows users to fine tune the audio output.

Also, both the remote and the Tango TRX app can be used to control the device's functions from up to 30ft (9.14m) away. However, the physical remote requires line-of-sight to work.

The audio system also features LED status indicators and a line-in jack for connecting other audio devices.

Quick review of XtremeMac Tango TRX

The XtremeMac Tango TRX 2.1 Bluetooth audio system allows users of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (2nd gen) to stream their favourite songs wirelessly to the device.

Manufactured by Imation, the TRX also has a dock to hold and charge the iPhone or iPod Touch.
The audio system's two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer produce clear and dynamic sound, the company claimed.

The TRX also has five buttons for controlling playback, bass, treble and other features directly.
You can also control the device using the bundled infrared remote or with a Tango TRX application that can be downloaded from the App Store for free.



The app turns the iPod, iPhone and iPad into a virtual remote and is identical to the physical remote in looks and features. The app also comes with a five-band equaliser that allows users to fine tune the audio output.

Also, both the remote and the Tango TRX app can be used to control the device's functions from up to 30ft (9.14m) away. However, the physical remote requires line-of-sight to work.

The audio system also features LED status indicators and a line-in jack for connecting other audio devices.

Quick review of XtremeMac Tango TRX

The XtremeMac Tango TRX 2.1 Bluetooth audio system allows users of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (2nd gen) to stream their favourite songs wirelessly to the device.

Manufactured by Imation, the TRX also has a dock to hold and charge the iPhone or iPod Touch.
The audio system's two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer produce clear and dynamic sound, the company claimed.

The TRX also has five buttons for controlling playback, bass, treble and other features directly.
You can also control the device using the bundled infrared remote or with a Tango TRX application that can be downloaded from the App Store for free.



The app turns the iPod, iPhone and iPad into a virtual remote and is identical to the physical remote in looks and features. The app also comes with a five-band equaliser that allows users to fine tune the audio output.

Also, both the remote and the Tango TRX app can be used to control the device's functions from up to 30ft (9.14m) away. However, the physical remote requires line-of-sight to work.

The audio system also features LED status indicators and a line-in jack for connecting other audio devices.

Can Apple thrive without its visionary CEO?

SLIGHT TUMBLE: Pedestrians walking past an Apple Store in San Francisco. Shares of Apple Inc fell modestly on Jan 18 following the company's disclosure that Jobs is taking another medical leave of absence. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: If investors were as visionary as Steve Jobs has proved to be during his 35 years of tech wizardry, they might be able to figure out whether Apple can still thrive if its founder and CEO doesn't return from his indefinite medical leave.

But Jobs' prescience is a rarity, which is why doubt and anxiety will probably hang over the company until his fate is clearer.

The iPod-iPhone-iPad revolution that Jobs unleashed over the past decade should ensure that Apple's revenue and earnings keep growing for at least the next two to three years, according to analysts.

What's more, Jobs has assembled and trained a savvy, hard-driving management team that should be capable of following his road map for the company.

The question is whether Apple can remain a step ahead and develop products that reshape technology, media and pop culture if Jobs isn't around to divine the next big thing.

Without Jobs, "Apple is a lot more like other companies. Its extraordinariness fades," says technology analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Apple Inc announced on Monday that Jobs, who co-founded the company in 1976, would take an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems. The leave could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

For now, investors appear to be hoping for the best. Apple stock fell US$7.83 (RM25), a little more than 2%, to close yesterday at US$340.65 (RM1,090). It recovered more than half of that loss after the closing bell, after reporting strong earnings.

For the regular trading day, Apple lost US$7bil (RM22.4bil) in market value, although most analysts believe Jobs' leadership and presence is worth much more to the company.

Jobs' value is difficult to gauge because of the sheer force of his personality, said Robert Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University who has studied Jobs and Apple. "Anyone who thinks they can estimate that is probably lying," Sutton says.

Stock market analyst Brian Marshall of investment bank Gleacher & Co suspects people still hope Jobs will return to the CEO job that he has held since 1997. Since then, Jobs has orchestrated a turnaround that increased Apple's market value by 100 times.

Marshall and other analysts aren't optimistic that Jobs will resume his CEO duties, partly because he did not set a timetable for his return. Before he got the new liver, Jobs took a leave of absence from January through June 2009.

It's tough to gauge Jobs' current health problems because he has said so little about his past ones. He had a tumour removed in 2004 - a rare and very treatable form of pancreatic cancer - but never said whether it had spread to lymph nodes, nor how extensive his surgery was.

"We don't really know how much of his pancreas was removed. He may just have a remnant," and that may be causing continued digestive difficulties, said Dr Charles R. Thomas of Ohio State University's Knight Cancer Institute.

Dr Jennifer Obel, a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a cancer specialist at Northshore University Health System in suburban Chicago, said the prognosis is good for those with pancreatic tumours like the one Jobs had, even if the tumors spread.

"He's done extremely well living with this disease for many years," she said. "I wouldn't assume anything until he has released more information."

Apple has declined further comment on Jobs' health.

Stepping up

Apple barely missed a beat the last time Jobs was gone, and its stock climbed more than 60% as sales of the iPhone and Mac computers surged, even as the recession dragged on. That's a testament to Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, who will be in charge while Jobs is away once again.

In a Tuesday conference call last week to discuss Apple's earnings, Cook predicted Apple will still shine.

"Apple is doing its best work ever," Cook said. "We are all very happy with the product pipeline, and the team here has an unparalleled breadth and depth of talent and a culture of innovation that Steve has driven in the company. Excellence has become a habit."

Cook has pretty much the same management team supporting him this time. The key players besides Cook include Jonathan Ive, who oversees the elegant design of Apple's products; Ron Johnson, who runs Apple's stores; Philip Schiller, the marketing chief; and Scott Forstall, who supervises the iPhone software.

It's a bench that investors would like to know better, says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management and an expert on executive leadership.

"You only hear about Santa," he says, "but it's time that we hear more about the elves."

Cook, who has been with Apple since 1998, and Ive, who has been with there since 1992, will probably carry the biggest load while Jobs is gone, analysts say.

Partly because his role at Apple attracted so much attention during Jobs' last medical leave, Cook is better known than Ive. Apple has recognised Cook's contributions by making him its top-paid executive, with a 2010 compensation package valued at US$59.1mil (RM189mil). Jobs limits his annual salary to US$1 (RM3.20).

But Ive has played a critical role in turning the products that Jobs envisioned into reality, said Leander Kahney, who has written books and a blog about Apple.

Apple's management team has been working together for so long that all the key executives should have a sense of what Jobs would want. And they may still be in touch with Jobs on key decisions because Jobs said he intends to remain involved in the company's strategy. Kay thinks Jobs may have planned even more in the past year than he usually does because of his shaky health.

The stakes are much higher than during Jobs' last medical leave. When Jobs left last time, Apple's market value stood at about US$78bil (RM250bil). It is now US$312bil (RM998bil), behind only Exxon Mobil among US companies.

Apple also is facing fiercer competition from Google, which has already threatened the iPhone with a rival software system for smart phones and is now setting its sights on the iPad in the market for Tablet computers.

Jobs' greatest gift hasn't been for invention as much his uncanny ability to anticipate what people want and then demand the technology be designed in a simple way that appeals to a mass market.

"You can't really teach that," said George Haley, a business and marketing professor at the University of New Haven. "You can teach the processes, but not the insight. It takes a genius to do it right."

Timing

Jobs has also shown an exquisite sense for when the time is right for a product. For instance, the concept for what turned into the iPad was brought to Jobs several years before Apple had even introduced its own phone.

He liked the idea of a computer Tablet but decided instead that its touchscreen technology would be better suited for a smaller screen at that time. That decision hatched the iPhone in 2007, a hot-selling device that paved the way for Apple's latest must-have gadget, the iPad.

Other companies developed the technology that created the computer mouse and digital music players, but neither of those innovations caught on until Jobs embraced the ideas and turned them into game-changing products.

"Steve did not invent MP3 players - he reinvented them," said Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies and a longtime Apple watcher. "He didn't invent the smartphone - he reinvented it. He didn't invent the Tablet - he reinvented it."

It's difficult to put a price on that kind of market intuition, particularly in an industry that changes so quickly. Almost no one had heard of Twitter three years ago or Facebook five years ago - or for that matter the iPod 10 years ago.

Many analysts liken Jobs to Walt Disney, an entrepreneur who didn't come up with animation or amusement parks but sculpted them into a business that left an indelible mark on the world. Jobs is now the largest shareholder of Walt Disney Co, a stake he accumulated when he agreed to sell Pixar Animation a few years ago.

Just as Walt Disney Co survived the 1966 death of its founder, Apple looks to be positioned well if Jobs doesn't return to health. But even Disney struggled for years after the well of its founder's ideas finally ran dry. - AP

Can Apple thrive without its visionary CEO?

SLIGHT TUMBLE: Pedestrians walking past an Apple Store in San Francisco. Shares of Apple Inc fell modestly on Jan 18 following the company's disclosure that Jobs is taking another medical leave of absence. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: If investors were as visionary as Steve Jobs has proved to be during his 35 years of tech wizardry, they might be able to figure out whether Apple can still thrive if its founder and CEO doesn't return from his indefinite medical leave.

But Jobs' prescience is a rarity, which is why doubt and anxiety will probably hang over the company until his fate is clearer.

The iPod-iPhone-iPad revolution that Jobs unleashed over the past decade should ensure that Apple's revenue and earnings keep growing for at least the next two to three years, according to analysts.

What's more, Jobs has assembled and trained a savvy, hard-driving management team that should be capable of following his road map for the company.

The question is whether Apple can remain a step ahead and develop products that reshape technology, media and pop culture if Jobs isn't around to divine the next big thing.

Without Jobs, "Apple is a lot more like other companies. Its extraordinariness fades," says technology analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Apple Inc announced on Monday that Jobs, who co-founded the company in 1976, would take an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems. The leave could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

For now, investors appear to be hoping for the best. Apple stock fell US$7.83 (RM25), a little more than 2%, to close yesterday at US$340.65 (RM1,090). It recovered more than half of that loss after the closing bell, after reporting strong earnings.

For the regular trading day, Apple lost US$7bil (RM22.4bil) in market value, although most analysts believe Jobs' leadership and presence is worth much more to the company.

Jobs' value is difficult to gauge because of the sheer force of his personality, said Robert Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University who has studied Jobs and Apple. "Anyone who thinks they can estimate that is probably lying," Sutton says.

Stock market analyst Brian Marshall of investment bank Gleacher & Co suspects people still hope Jobs will return to the CEO job that he has held since 1997. Since then, Jobs has orchestrated a turnaround that increased Apple's market value by 100 times.

Marshall and other analysts aren't optimistic that Jobs will resume his CEO duties, partly because he did not set a timetable for his return. Before he got the new liver, Jobs took a leave of absence from January through June 2009.

It's tough to gauge Jobs' current health problems because he has said so little about his past ones. He had a tumour removed in 2004 - a rare and very treatable form of pancreatic cancer - but never said whether it had spread to lymph nodes, nor how extensive his surgery was.

"We don't really know how much of his pancreas was removed. He may just have a remnant," and that may be causing continued digestive difficulties, said Dr Charles R. Thomas of Ohio State University's Knight Cancer Institute.

Dr Jennifer Obel, a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a cancer specialist at Northshore University Health System in suburban Chicago, said the prognosis is good for those with pancreatic tumours like the one Jobs had, even if the tumors spread.

"He's done extremely well living with this disease for many years," she said. "I wouldn't assume anything until he has released more information."

Apple has declined further comment on Jobs' health.

Stepping up

Apple barely missed a beat the last time Jobs was gone, and its stock climbed more than 60% as sales of the iPhone and Mac computers surged, even as the recession dragged on. That's a testament to Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, who will be in charge while Jobs is away once again.

In a Tuesday conference call last week to discuss Apple's earnings, Cook predicted Apple will still shine.

"Apple is doing its best work ever," Cook said. "We are all very happy with the product pipeline, and the team here has an unparalleled breadth and depth of talent and a culture of innovation that Steve has driven in the company. Excellence has become a habit."

Cook has pretty much the same management team supporting him this time. The key players besides Cook include Jonathan Ive, who oversees the elegant design of Apple's products; Ron Johnson, who runs Apple's stores; Philip Schiller, the marketing chief; and Scott Forstall, who supervises the iPhone software.

It's a bench that investors would like to know better, says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management and an expert on executive leadership.

"You only hear about Santa," he says, "but it's time that we hear more about the elves."

Cook, who has been with Apple since 1998, and Ive, who has been with there since 1992, will probably carry the biggest load while Jobs is gone, analysts say.

Partly because his role at Apple attracted so much attention during Jobs' last medical leave, Cook is better known than Ive. Apple has recognised Cook's contributions by making him its top-paid executive, with a 2010 compensation package valued at US$59.1mil (RM189mil). Jobs limits his annual salary to US$1 (RM3.20).

But Ive has played a critical role in turning the products that Jobs envisioned into reality, said Leander Kahney, who has written books and a blog about Apple.

Apple's management team has been working together for so long that all the key executives should have a sense of what Jobs would want. And they may still be in touch with Jobs on key decisions because Jobs said he intends to remain involved in the company's strategy. Kay thinks Jobs may have planned even more in the past year than he usually does because of his shaky health.

The stakes are much higher than during Jobs' last medical leave. When Jobs left last time, Apple's market value stood at about US$78bil (RM250bil). It is now US$312bil (RM998bil), behind only Exxon Mobil among US companies.

Apple also is facing fiercer competition from Google, which has already threatened the iPhone with a rival software system for smart phones and is now setting its sights on the iPad in the market for Tablet computers.

Jobs' greatest gift hasn't been for invention as much his uncanny ability to anticipate what people want and then demand the technology be designed in a simple way that appeals to a mass market.

"You can't really teach that," said George Haley, a business and marketing professor at the University of New Haven. "You can teach the processes, but not the insight. It takes a genius to do it right."

Timing

Jobs has also shown an exquisite sense for when the time is right for a product. For instance, the concept for what turned into the iPad was brought to Jobs several years before Apple had even introduced its own phone.

He liked the idea of a computer Tablet but decided instead that its touchscreen technology would be better suited for a smaller screen at that time. That decision hatched the iPhone in 2007, a hot-selling device that paved the way for Apple's latest must-have gadget, the iPad.

Other companies developed the technology that created the computer mouse and digital music players, but neither of those innovations caught on until Jobs embraced the ideas and turned them into game-changing products.

"Steve did not invent MP3 players - he reinvented them," said Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies and a longtime Apple watcher. "He didn't invent the smartphone - he reinvented it. He didn't invent the Tablet - he reinvented it."

It's difficult to put a price on that kind of market intuition, particularly in an industry that changes so quickly. Almost no one had heard of Twitter three years ago or Facebook five years ago - or for that matter the iPod 10 years ago.

Many analysts liken Jobs to Walt Disney, an entrepreneur who didn't come up with animation or amusement parks but sculpted them into a business that left an indelible mark on the world. Jobs is now the largest shareholder of Walt Disney Co, a stake he accumulated when he agreed to sell Pixar Animation a few years ago.

Just as Walt Disney Co survived the 1966 death of its founder, Apple looks to be positioned well if Jobs doesn't return to health. But even Disney struggled for years after the well of its founder's ideas finally ran dry. - AP

Can Apple thrive without its visionary CEO?

SLIGHT TUMBLE: Pedestrians walking past an Apple Store in San Francisco. Shares of Apple Inc fell modestly on Jan 18 following the company's disclosure that Jobs is taking another medical leave of absence. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: If investors were as visionary as Steve Jobs has proved to be during his 35 years of tech wizardry, they might be able to figure out whether Apple can still thrive if its founder and CEO doesn't return from his indefinite medical leave.

But Jobs' prescience is a rarity, which is why doubt and anxiety will probably hang over the company until his fate is clearer.

The iPod-iPhone-iPad revolution that Jobs unleashed over the past decade should ensure that Apple's revenue and earnings keep growing for at least the next two to three years, according to analysts.

What's more, Jobs has assembled and trained a savvy, hard-driving management team that should be capable of following his road map for the company.

The question is whether Apple can remain a step ahead and develop products that reshape technology, media and pop culture if Jobs isn't around to divine the next big thing.

Without Jobs, "Apple is a lot more like other companies. Its extraordinariness fades," says technology analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Apple Inc announced on Monday that Jobs, who co-founded the company in 1976, would take an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems. The leave could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant.

For now, investors appear to be hoping for the best. Apple stock fell US$7.83 (RM25), a little more than 2%, to close yesterday at US$340.65 (RM1,090). It recovered more than half of that loss after the closing bell, after reporting strong earnings.

For the regular trading day, Apple lost US$7bil (RM22.4bil) in market value, although most analysts believe Jobs' leadership and presence is worth much more to the company.

Jobs' value is difficult to gauge because of the sheer force of his personality, said Robert Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University who has studied Jobs and Apple. "Anyone who thinks they can estimate that is probably lying," Sutton says.

Stock market analyst Brian Marshall of investment bank Gleacher & Co suspects people still hope Jobs will return to the CEO job that he has held since 1997. Since then, Jobs has orchestrated a turnaround that increased Apple's market value by 100 times.

Marshall and other analysts aren't optimistic that Jobs will resume his CEO duties, partly because he did not set a timetable for his return. Before he got the new liver, Jobs took a leave of absence from January through June 2009.

It's tough to gauge Jobs' current health problems because he has said so little about his past ones. He had a tumour removed in 2004 - a rare and very treatable form of pancreatic cancer - but never said whether it had spread to lymph nodes, nor how extensive his surgery was.

"We don't really know how much of his pancreas was removed. He may just have a remnant," and that may be causing continued digestive difficulties, said Dr Charles R. Thomas of Ohio State University's Knight Cancer Institute.

Dr Jennifer Obel, a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a cancer specialist at Northshore University Health System in suburban Chicago, said the prognosis is good for those with pancreatic tumours like the one Jobs had, even if the tumors spread.

"He's done extremely well living with this disease for many years," she said. "I wouldn't assume anything until he has released more information."

Apple has declined further comment on Jobs' health.

Stepping up

Apple barely missed a beat the last time Jobs was gone, and its stock climbed more than 60% as sales of the iPhone and Mac computers surged, even as the recession dragged on. That's a testament to Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, who will be in charge while Jobs is away once again.

In a Tuesday conference call last week to discuss Apple's earnings, Cook predicted Apple will still shine.

"Apple is doing its best work ever," Cook said. "We are all very happy with the product pipeline, and the team here has an unparalleled breadth and depth of talent and a culture of innovation that Steve has driven in the company. Excellence has become a habit."

Cook has pretty much the same management team supporting him this time. The key players besides Cook include Jonathan Ive, who oversees the elegant design of Apple's products; Ron Johnson, who runs Apple's stores; Philip Schiller, the marketing chief; and Scott Forstall, who supervises the iPhone software.

It's a bench that investors would like to know better, says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management and an expert on executive leadership.

"You only hear about Santa," he says, "but it's time that we hear more about the elves."

Cook, who has been with Apple since 1998, and Ive, who has been with there since 1992, will probably carry the biggest load while Jobs is gone, analysts say.

Partly because his role at Apple attracted so much attention during Jobs' last medical leave, Cook is better known than Ive. Apple has recognised Cook's contributions by making him its top-paid executive, with a 2010 compensation package valued at US$59.1mil (RM189mil). Jobs limits his annual salary to US$1 (RM3.20).

But Ive has played a critical role in turning the products that Jobs envisioned into reality, said Leander Kahney, who has written books and a blog about Apple.

Apple's management team has been working together for so long that all the key executives should have a sense of what Jobs would want. And they may still be in touch with Jobs on key decisions because Jobs said he intends to remain involved in the company's strategy. Kay thinks Jobs may have planned even more in the past year than he usually does because of his shaky health.

The stakes are much higher than during Jobs' last medical leave. When Jobs left last time, Apple's market value stood at about US$78bil (RM250bil). It is now US$312bil (RM998bil), behind only Exxon Mobil among US companies.

Apple also is facing fiercer competition from Google, which has already threatened the iPhone with a rival software system for smart phones and is now setting its sights on the iPad in the market for Tablet computers.

Jobs' greatest gift hasn't been for invention as much his uncanny ability to anticipate what people want and then demand the technology be designed in a simple way that appeals to a mass market.

"You can't really teach that," said George Haley, a business and marketing professor at the University of New Haven. "You can teach the processes, but not the insight. It takes a genius to do it right."

Timing

Jobs has also shown an exquisite sense for when the time is right for a product. For instance, the concept for what turned into the iPad was brought to Jobs several years before Apple had even introduced its own phone.

He liked the idea of a computer Tablet but decided instead that its touchscreen technology would be better suited for a smaller screen at that time. That decision hatched the iPhone in 2007, a hot-selling device that paved the way for Apple's latest must-have gadget, the iPad.

Other companies developed the technology that created the computer mouse and digital music players, but neither of those innovations caught on until Jobs embraced the ideas and turned them into game-changing products.

"Steve did not invent MP3 players - he reinvented them," said Tim Bajarin, the president of Creative Strategies and a longtime Apple watcher. "He didn't invent the smartphone - he reinvented it. He didn't invent the Tablet - he reinvented it."

It's difficult to put a price on that kind of market intuition, particularly in an industry that changes so quickly. Almost no one had heard of Twitter three years ago or Facebook five years ago - or for that matter the iPod 10 years ago.

Many analysts liken Jobs to Walt Disney, an entrepreneur who didn't come up with animation or amusement parks but sculpted them into a business that left an indelible mark on the world. Jobs is now the largest shareholder of Walt Disney Co, a stake he accumulated when he agreed to sell Pixar Animation a few years ago.

Just as Walt Disney Co survived the 1966 death of its founder, Apple looks to be positioned well if Jobs doesn't return to health. But even Disney struggled for years after the well of its founder's ideas finally ran dry. - AP