If Steve Jobs steps down as CEO because of health problem, how would that affect Apple?

Unknown, but he recently cleared the record – his pancreatic cancer has not returned. I suspect Jonathan Ive would make a good successor as CEO.

It would definitely effect the public image of Apple. But internally, it would not make that big of a difference. Jobs does not actually do any of the actual design or production part of apple. He is more or less the person who agrees/ disagrees on a product in my opinion

“Greatly” would be the answer. There’s no way of knowing what would happen, you would hope that he set a precedent for excellent products and that the corporate culture he brought to the company would persist. But he does exist as a focal point and if nothing else, his absence would definitely shake confidence in Apple, so the stock price would be affected. But, that’s not really unique to Apple. This happens when any CEO leaves any publicly traded company.

Steve Jobs isn’t the person who does the design or production, but he is horribly obsessive over every little thing at Apple. He wants to understand how everything works, will fire you for disagreeing with him, and wants everything to work together and share the same space.

It’s no secret that he is the reason that everything at Apple is so similar, and (for the most part) works cohesively. The reason that the brands are so unified and that once you know how to use iTunes, you basically know how to use a Mac (everything else is very similar).

Unlike some other companies, where departments are left to develop their own directions, Jobs is a unifying vision that keeps everything together.

If Apple doesn’t find a CEO as crazy as him as a replacement, Apple will not be the same company five years from now.

If Microsoft was more like Apple, you would be able to use the Zune software on the computer to control the music on your Xbox. Windows Media Player would have been axed, or they would have used that to control the music on your Zune instead of the Zune software.

Microsoft has some great products, but they don’t adhere together. Everything is a satellite of the core company. Apple have iTunes, which controls the music on your phone, your music player, and your Apple TV. You get the idea.

Short answer: Jobs is a visionary, and a very decided and powerful one. Without a visionary to make things fall into place, you end up with a less cohesive corporate structure. You end up with Scully, who licenses Mac OS to other computer manufacturers.

I think that Jobs has had a strong enough presence and showed that his point of view and vision are wildly successful so that if he were to step down or for some other reason not be CEO of Apple, they would be able to continue what he’s started without him. Public perception would be altered, and theyw ould have to fight to either get it back to what it is now, or to push it forward for the (hopefully) better.

Jobs isn’t going to last forever, and I’m sure he knows that, and he’s undoubtedly taken steps to shape the company to be able to move forward without him. Especially considering he’s already had a bout with cancer.

Apple will change completely. Don’t say he doesn’t do much. He doesn’t really make designs but he tells the team how he wants it or gives them suggestions. He makes almost all the decisions. From the look of the Mac to the font of the iTunes music store. I remember when Apple was almost dead after Steve left. Good thing he came back.