January 16, 2009 [LINK / comment]

Steve Jobs takes sick leave

There was some disquieting news from Cupertino, California earlier this month. In a letter to the Apple Community Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs admitted that his "health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought," saying that his severe weight loss over the past year was the result of a "hormone imbalance." Many people are afraid that the pancreatic cancer which he suffered five years ago might have resurfaced, however. In an Apple media advisory this past Wednesday, Jobs announced that until his expected return to work this summer, chief operating officer Tim Cook would "be responsible for Apple's day to day operations." Jobs failed to show up at the annual MacWorld exhibition for the first time ever, making many people nervous. Apple's stock fell over 10% after the announcement by Jobs. See Washington Post.

The news that Jobs is in worse physical condition than previously thought is dismaying on several levels. For hard-core Apple / Macintosh devotees like me, it's extremely hard to face up to the mortality of our "cult leader." It's hard to imagine how the pioneering computer company could remain on the cutting edge of technological development without someone of Jobs' enormous vision and energy.

On a more serious note, I join Mac users around the world in offering prayers for Steve Jobs' prompt return to full health.

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