Farewell Steve and we thank you…

Regarding Steve

This summer has been chock-full of attention grabbing headlines. This is quite a surprise as many in the industry consider the summertime to be the “slow news” period of the year. In fact, I know many authors utilize this yearly lull in news to write their various books and articles.

This year, however, was different. We saw the first glimpses of the user interface for Windows 8, Microsoft devour Skype, Google swallow Motorola Mobility, HP call an abort on WebOS and their PC hardware business, and the continuing growth of the Patent Wars. Now combine all of that with this week’s non-technology news: the slower-than-Twitter earthquake in Virginia, rebels taking control of Libya, and Hurricane Irene roaring down the East Coast. It’s enough to make your head spin.

Adding to this cacophony of news, tonight we have word coming from Apple that Steve Jobs has resigned as the company’s CEO. I can’t say that I was entirely surprised. Steve has had numerous, well-known health issues over the past few years and as of late he had begun to even sound weak while speaking and continuing to look frail.

A few months ago, I was watching his presentation to the Cupertino City Council regarding Apple’s new campus plans and noted his continued frail appearance. I felt sorry for the man and thought it might be wise for him to consider stepping down to retire. Working himself to death while on medical leave didn’t seem like a good idea to me. Weeks later, it was announced that the publication date of Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Steve was moved from March 2012 to November 2011. This naturally invited speculation that the date change was health-related, despite the author claiming that it was not and that the book was simply “done.” I can’t say for sure, but I believe it to be a combination of the two.

Naturally, news of Steve’s resignation spread across the Internet instantly. In reading the various blog posts, tweets, and comments on Facebook posts, I’m inclined to agree with Daniel Eran Digler over at AppleInsider in that Steve’s actions have been calculated and deliberate. Over the past few years through Steve’s various medical troubles, we’ve seen him cede the stage at Apple events to others in the company: Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall, and Bob Mansfield. This as though he’s saying, “Look, it’s not just me! You have to think of what will happen without me.”

Likewise, Tim Cook was groomed by Steve to be Apple’s next CEO, and Tim was able to prove this to himself, Steve, and Apple by running the company day-to-day during Steve’s medical leaves. According to an article in Fortune, Steve also started a type of “Apple University” inside the company to train others in Apple’s culture, organization, and management styles. Finally, there’s that authorized biography, released at a time when Steve is still firmly in the hearts and minds of the Apple Community and consumers as a whole. Released in November, I have no doubt it will top the shopping lists of those making holiday purchases.

Regarding Tim Cook and Apple, I would expect the stock price to take a hit initially tomorrow as it did tonight in after-hours trading. I think Tim will do a great job running Apple, especially in the near term. Longer term, we’ll have to wait and see how much Apple really relied on Steve and how they will handle not having him directly involved in the day-to-day.

I hope they do well and I believe they will, if only because Steve has spent the last few years preparing for this, injecting his DNA deeper into the marrow that is Apple. It’s up to Tim and those who work with him to ensure that the legacy Steve created remains untarnished.

Regarding Steve, his impact on technology cannot be overlooked. Often knowing what people want before they even knew, he through Apple was able to move the technology world forward without ever looking back. Love him or hate him, love Apple or hate Apple, no one today would say that the technology landscape is worse off because of what Steve and Apple have been able to accomplish.

Steve remains Chairman of the Apple Board, similar to Bill Gates when he left his position at Microsoft. Unlike Bill, however, Steve has requested in his resignation letter to remain an Apple employee. I envision him offering strategic insight when those within Apple need a sprinkle of his inspiration.

Personally, I truly hope that Steve fully recovers from whatever might be ailing him. I’m certain he’s earned it.

Farewell, Steve, and we thank you.

iCloud + new Time Capsule = Good Idea?

A report from Cult of Mac was mentioned today on MacRumors (link) regarding Apple’s possible integration of revised Time Capsule hardware to be launched alongside their long-rumored iCloud service.

I can see where Apple might be going with this idea.

I believe the Time Capsule integration with the iCloud service will form a hybrid cloud. Data can be synchronized to both the off-premise iCloud service as well as to your on-premise Time Capsule. When you are within range of your Time Capsule, data will be accessed locally, bypassing your Internet connection entirely. When you are out and about, data will be accessed from Apple’s iCloud service remotely through whatever Internet connection you happen to be using. This approach would also answer one of the most frequently asked questions in regard to cloud services: how do I access my data if my Internet connection is unavailable?

I don’t believe the iCloud service will access your data directly from the Time Capsule over the Internet for two reasons. First, bandwidth caps are all the rage with telcos these days and more and more people are being subject to them. Second, many home Internet connections are asymmetric, with the upload speed dwarfed by the download speed. If you decided to stream a movie over the Internet from your Time Capsule, the potential to degrade the Internet connection for anyone else who happens to be using your Time Capsule’s Internet connection would be too great.

I also don’t believe that this new Time Capsule will be required for iCloud to work. It will, however, be pushed as an add-on that enhances the experience.

Will this be the approach Apple takes? We’ll find out tomorrow.