Here's the letter he wrote: Link Sounds like it's health related. Tim Cook's getting laid tonight!
Dont like apple products.... ... But damn I hope he's well enough to enjoy a bit and smile before it takes him.
Yeah. He was diagnosed way back in 2003 (or 2004 according to some search results). Pancreatic usually takes you out very quickly, it's amazing he has lasted as long as he has. History has shown that every time Jobs wasn't behind the wheel of Apple, they went to shit. While I respect him for his insight into the tech industry, I wouldn't be heartbroken if his successor runs the cult of Apple straight into the ground. I hate their fucking products.
From what I understand they have business plan for the next couple of years. So short term I think they will be okay.
It's no secret what I think of Apple. But I honestly wish Jobs well. I agree with Dan Leach that I don't like their products, but they've done well.
As mentioned upthread he's beaten the usual expectations for pancreatic standards by a long stretch. I suspect that letter was one of the offshoots of a very unpleasant conversation with his doctors. I don't use Apple products because I can do what I need to get done with Windows systems at considerably cheaper prices. That said I do admire the way that his products have so captivated the consumer market that they also influence the corporate market; sorta like the tail wagging the dog. It would be nice to think that he'll take whatever time he has left to smell some roses, but the kind of people who achieve that kind of success on the business level usually don't have any interest in the kinds of things the rest of us like to do for fun.
Pancreatic cancer is a bitch, my grandfather died from it. I wish him well though, even though I'm not an Apple fanboy!!
I feel bad for the guy. That is tough one. It is up there with lung cancer tough to catch and when it is caught it is pretty wide spread in the body.
You can't look at what he's done and not acknowledge he was a visionary. I like Apple mobile devices, but I use PC's. And I was drug kicking and screaming to their mobile devices. Like someone above said, they have a game plan laid out. I would think tomorrow a good time to buy; they will no doubt do well for 3-5 years. US futures are down, and Jobs' resignation is blamed. Interesting tidbit: Apple has missed most of its "target launches" since Jobs has been on medical leave. Only their cult of secrecy has kept that down; they don't make announcements ahead of time, so no one can say "Aha!" Of course, there is a good lesson there: promises should be few and far between in business.
He made a [-]computer[/-] giant iPod Touch that can fit in a manilla envelope. Regardless, he should live out the rest of his days in comfort and peace.
Yeah, pancreatic cancer is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Saw my aunt go out from it. Even those with the resources to fight that forever don't make it past a year (See Patrick Swayze and Luciano Pavoratti), much less eight.
They've just announced their new fall line of products: iResign iScreaminagony iShitblood iAssumeroomtemperature
And I thought an iPhone coffin picture was pushing it...... Wordforge: "Where there's always someone worse then you"
Not sure he's dying, it may be a case the fights taken a lot out of him, at least I hope so. As for Apple, in the near term this won't have an effect as Jobs is still there in spirit as well as being Chairman (probably of the Mao flavour), but in the long term? Jobs may be a control freak of the first order, but he's also brilliant at coming up with ideas. He turned computers into appliances, which is pretty much all the Trek tech (can you imagine Bones trying to use a proper PC? "Dammit it Jim, I'm trying to get the IP address of this tricorder so I can send the data to the main computer, otherwise we'll never know what killed this random redshirt you inadvisedly took to Planet Certain Death"), and applied the kind of minimalist attitudes that make technology actually user friendly. My concern is that he's been pretty much out-of-the-office for sometime now, and in that time Apple has turned into a litigious nightmare and even more of a control freak than Jobs, so it may be that his successor is behind that.
Someone put it best. Jobs was the best at seeing his products from the consumers perspective. Everything from the designs to the advertising shows that.