RSSSteve Jobs takes leave for a medical sabbatical
By Tim Conneally | Published January 14, 2009, 5:01 PM
The Apple CEO's health problems are "more complex than [he] originally thought," so today, Tim Cook will be placed in control as Jobs takes a medical leave of absence.
Last Week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs released an uncharacteristic statement to the public regarding his health, and addressing speculation about why he would not be appearing at Macworld.
Jobs said his health condition was attributable to a hormone imbalance which his doctors said could be treated. He also said that if he was unable to fulfill his duties, he would be stepping down as CEO.
Today, Jobs issued a further statement that he may be doing just that.
"Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family," reads Jobs' statement this afternoon, "but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.
"In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products," Jobs continued, "I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June."
Jobs assigned Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook to handle day to day operation, just as he had done in 2004 when Jobs had surgery for pancreatic cancer.
"Didn't think so. Please go back to your trailer "Hollywood_".
OK, I'll go back to my trailer......???? WTF?
Are you such a loser that you think that Steve Jobs is somehow better than you? I won't feel the least bit bad when he dies of some horrible illness. You on the other hand will be crying while you jerk off listening to your pink iPod.
You pathetic post shows that you think your life is worth less than his, that my freind is sad.
"Well let's see, have you resurrected a struggling company only to make it a mammoth multi-billion dollar company that also happens to be the coolest company ever?" - BWWWWWAAAAAAAAHAAHAAHAAHAHAAHAAH!!!!!!!
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|I'm sure we are all really aware what his problem is, he's got the virus!
After he got together with his gay partner Stevie Ball(me), and plenty of lube & eckies, betwixt the pair of them, they created Windows 7.
Somewhat sadly 'though Steve (head)Jobs obviously couldn't handle the smell of burning rubber, and the rest is Karma.
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|I don't think Steve Jobs would give a flying **** if BetaNews posted a story about me dying so **** him.
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|Gonna haft you agree with Hollywood here. Steve Jobs is not the only sick person on this planet. I am not going to pretend that I care about Steve Jobs because I don't. Steve Jobs doesn't care about me either. I don't wish him ill, but I am also not going to lose any sleep over his well being. If you wanna give somebody your sympathy save it for someone who needs it like the thousands of children with cancer.
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|Well let's see, have you resurrected a struggling company only to make it a mammoth multi-billion dollar company that also happens to be the coolest company ever?
Didn't think so. Please go back to your trailer "Hollywood_".
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|Actually it was several hundred milliom from MS that saved apple but fanboys can't help but give blow-jobs whenever their master needs one:)
Have a nice Day and, for the record, I hope Mr. Jobs will be ok. I wouldn't wish ill on anyone even some on here:)
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|Hey I hope the guy gets better (although I seriously doubt it), but let's face it - no one takes a leave of abscence unless it's serious, especially when you're a workaholic like Jobs is.
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|His legacy of shiny turds with defective, non replaceable batteries and catering to superficial people with low self esteem like internetworld7 is coming to and end. It will be a sad day for the coffee sipping turtleneck wearing psuedo-intellectuals with fake prescription glasses at Borders.
(Wow, that was a lot of insult packed into two sentences)
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|lol
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|Yes, it is. How very kind of you...
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|I'm glad to know I'm still under your skin... cheers. :)
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|You're not even as annoying as those kids at the "R" movie giggling like idiots every time someone uses vulgarity.
Takes a bit more than some anonymous twerp on them intarwebz to get "under my skin".
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|Sorry sweet cheeks, but unless you and Hollywood_ are one and the same (or gay lovers), I was clearly replying to your boy Hollywood_
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|LMAO Nice!
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|Hollyweed_
Have no sense of either shame or irony? Your first eight words are more applicable to Vista.
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|RIP thats all i can say
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|I really hope everything turns out allright for Mr. Jobs. Being ill is bad enough, but the fact that his health is so heavily scrutinized by the press and the public must be an even more frustrating burden to bear. He's led an amazing life and accomplished some amazing things, and I hope that people remember him for that first and foremost. I hope his health recovers and he's able to continue on.
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|I think peoples interest simply shows that many think Apple won't be the same company without him. If that's true, that's bad news for Apple. I tend to think the company is in good shape and will remain that way regardless of who's running it.
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|He's an incredibly inspiring figure. He may even be a visionary. He's also an innovator. Taking some concepts that are out there and improving on them and even coming up with original products like the iPod, iPhone, etc. Seems that when he was pushed out by that gnarly Ex-Pepsi exec, he rebounded by founding Next, which was WAY before its time (no floppy - just optical drives) and the Next interface, dock, etc. Then he takes Pixar and does his magic there. Then he gets asked back to Apple and again, he does his magic there.
He is an incredible talent and as I mentioned, a true inspiration to many. Not just his employees but to an entire industry, I believe.
Minds with that level of talent and dedication are few and far between, and I think he really deserves mad props for his incredible journey and the successes he has had.
Maybe he was brash and hasty as a younger man, but he still had that drive and that vision, and now as he has matured, he has humility and experience to help balance all of that out.
Get well soon, Mr. Jobs. A lot of folks are pullin' for ya.
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|Visionary? What makes you think that Steve Jobs came up with all of that? Somebody on his payroll is this so called visionary.
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|Steve Jobs is fine. He will be back in June as promised. He just needs to recover from his treatment. Tim Cook will take over eventually anyway. ?
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|That's what we _hope_
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|Please don't say that, your hurting my feelings.
*Rolls eyes*
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|I said it in my other post. You can't believe a thing he says, so when he was not sick, you knew he was. When he was sort of sick, you knew he was really sick. He was one of the lucky few to have the rare "safer" form of pancreatic cancer, now we are to believe it's a more complex hormone problem and he "resigns" for a while. hopefully not, but next will be that his cancer has returned and he is officially gone from dtd duties at Apple,.The stock tanks, and we finally get the truth. All this does is give people time to sell their stock before he is really gone. Sell now people before you lose your gains.
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|hopefully, steve will now use his time to smell the roses and get to know the world outside of the artificial and apple.
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|Because, as we all know, no CEO's have time for anything outside of the office like golf or flying to Paris for dinner.
You have a very distorted view of the corporate world, there, Benny. Perhaps *you* need to get out from the server room once in a while?
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|when i said smell the roses, i meant it to be literally and spiritually.
however, when you are faced with your own mortality, playing golf, flying to paris for dinner, etc might be what is important for you.
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|Well here comes the first test in 4/5 years of what Apple are now made of.
In the window to June there is likely to be an upgrade to the iMacs and possibly the iPhone, though there may be an i7 notebook update just before Jobs is due to return.
Let's see how well he handles those.
All the best to Jobs, he's done a lot for Apple and the industry. Some of it brilliant, some of it not-so-good. I'll be surprised if he returns in June (or at all), but we'll see.
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|His trajectory is poor. He is declining at an alarming rate. He won't be back at work in June. He may not be walking this earth in June.
2009 looks to be a rough year in Cupertino.
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|he seems to of been stringing along / lying to investors and the "Apple Community' all along, that said... i don't wish death on anybody
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|I wish him all the best; dealing with any illness is a battle and good on him to take the time he needs to recover.
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|"just as he had done in 2004 when Jobs had surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2004."
What year was that again?
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|Thanks for catching that!
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|Let's hope that Steve gets better. His genius and drive are both admirable and rare. At least this will end all the speculation and this new generation of stockholders will get the chance to see Apple without Jobs. We can only hope that Apple does better than the last time when Steve rescued an Apple with both feet in the grave.
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|Good luck Steve.
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|Hope it's not EMI from the iPhone, else I may lose half my coworkers!
edit: doh
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