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IDK. Jobs ruled when the iPhone(a very rare opportunity) was emerging, when Apple had a much smaller value. Cook is ruling while the iPhone is maturing and Apple, a huge company, needs to grow.

So it's hard to compare.

Also it's hard to know how much of the iPhone's sucsess is Steve Jobs, and how much of it this is a manufactured legend(and there's no doubt, there is one) - and the iPhone's greatness was due to many great people.And Apple is exceptionally good at hiding those details.

But one part of the legend is true though: he was a visionary - insisting on building a company around good design where a rare few did so. That paid of huge. With the iPod. And the iPod is a very important reason in the success of the iPhone.



> So it's hard to compare.

Not really, because many of us remember the golden age of LCs before everything went downhill.


What is LCs ? and can you expand ?

But also, my point is: if you put someone as skilled as Jobs, but without the track record, could he say no to investors wanting growth ? Could he give up such a huge opportunity as wireless ear buds ?

And even if, could he create amazing new features/products out of thin air ? on his own ? when the whole world have learned how be great at design ? IDK.


Your question reveals that you only know the OS X era from Apple. :)

This is a LC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_LC

After Jobs was forced to leave, Apple wandered into creating A/UX, Taligent, Copland, allowing clones and getting ready to close shop.

It was Jobs' return that placed some order into the whole Spindler and Amelio mess.




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