Let´s take a look at Apple´s performance over the past year and what we can expect long-term from the company.
The initial numbers reveal that under the leadership of new CEO Tim Cook, the company is stronger than ever. In fact, it´s the world´s most valuable company, worth a staggering US $625 billion. The company´s stock value is up some 70-plus percent since Jobs´ death, and the new iPhone 5—released just last month—is the fastest selling iPhone to date, causing Apple fanatics worldwide to sell iPhone 3gs 16gb and iPhone 4 in favour of the upgrade.
New iPod Nano and iPod Touch products are also selling well, and the iPad continues to be the leading tablet product on the market. But Apple´s current success doesn´t necessarily ensure that the future ahead will be as bright. Apple critics note that under Jobs´ leadership, Apple out-performed itself quarter after quarter, while the Cook-era Apple´s success seems more dependent on product launches.
And since new products generally take about two years to manufacture, the ones we´ve seen released since Jobs´ death were developed under his leadership, not Cook´s. Some pundits are suggesting that we won´t truly know the impact of Jobs´ passing for at least another year, and maybe not until multiple generations of new products have been released.
Critics are also pointing to the issues with Apple Maps—and Cook´s subsequent public apology—as an early indicator that Apple´s leading market vision has started to falter, but it´s important to remember Job´s own apology for the iPhone 4´s reception issues or the failure of MobileMe before casting such harsh judgment.
Cook´s leadership style certainly differs from his legendary predecessor. Rather than being known as an innovator, the new CEO is lauded for his operational expertise and strong management of the supply chain. A large part of Cook´s focus, then, has been to bolster distribution of Apple products worldwide, rather than to merely develop new products and refine old ones.
The company currently has 350 stores worldwide, having just added Sweden to its country distribution list last month. Over the past few weeks, many parallels have been drawn between Disney and Apple in considering the long-term effect that Jobs´ death will have on the company.
Critics have pointed out that Disney´s biggest misstep in the time since Walt Disney´s passing has been a tendency to look back at the way things were, rather than to keep moving forward. TIME magazine has reported that Jobs and Cook discussed Disney as an example of what not to do after his passing, so for now, we can only hope that Cook uses the history lesson to set Apple on a new course for the future.
Michael EdmondstoneAbout the Guest Author:
Michael Edmondstone is a freelance personal finance and technology news writer.