Steve Jobs and his Health Problems No Longer a Rumor

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2724' target='_blank'>http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2724</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Apple released the following statement</em><em>&nbsp;from CEO Steve Jobs to address the persistent rumors that his health is failing due to his visible weight loss over the last year."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1231248397.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>ZDNet posted the complete statement on their blog site, but you can go to <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/05sjletter.html" target="_blank">Apple.com</a> and read it as well. The rumor that Steve Jobs has been in failing health has been around for a few years at least, along with the photo comparisons, and now it has been put to rest.&nbsp;</p><p>Confirmation that someone is having a health crisis is never a good thing, but at least now we can move on from it and wish him a speedy recovery. &nbsp;</p>

[Spooof]

I am glad that they have diagnosed the issue and he is on the way to recovery. For selfish reasons I believe that we need Steve Jobs at Apple.

[doogald]

I also read the following in the Boston Globe's story (http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/01/06/jobs_explains_his_weight_loss/) about this:

Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, said there's a succession plan in place if Jobs can no longer run the company. The plan has existed for several years and is confidential, he said.

If anybody doubted this, they must think that Apple's management is pretty dumb.

[Jason Dunn]

If anybody doubted this, they must think that Apple's management is pretty dumb.

I think there's less doubt about Apple having a succession plan then there is about the plan actually being pulled off - Apple is so intertwined with Jobs that it's hard to conceive of one without the other. And, let's face it, a big reason for that is how Steve likes to take credit for everything that Apple does. That's given him cult-god status, but it makes others in the company less effective in the public eye even if they're the ones creating the great products. It will be interesting to see how this plays out...