LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Apple) Steve Jobs, mastermind behind Apple, has resigned as CEO of the company effective immediately.
Tim Cook, formerly Apple, Inc's chief operating officer, has been named the new CEO, Apple's board of directors announced on Wednesday. Jobs has been appointed chairman of the board.
'I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know,' Jobs wrote in a letter to Apple's board on Thursday. 'Unfortunately, that day has come.'
Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula, and others. Together they ushered in the Apple II, which went on sale in 1977. It was the first 'practical' personal computer, eventually dominating the education market in particular. Jobs left Apple Computer in 1985 and set out to develop a new OS and computer company, dubbed NeXT. He returned to Apple in 1996 when the company purchased NeXT for $429 million, and took over as chief executive in 1997.
Under Jobs, Apple delivered innovations from the first mouse-driven user interface to the pocketable iPod media player, which created the digital music revolution. It delivered the first popular tablet computer, the iPad, prompting a wholesale reinvention of the media business in the process. And as chief executive officer of Pixar Studios, Jobs became the tech-savvy equivalent of Walt Disney, fine-tuning the art of computer-generated storytelling beginning with Toy Story.
Today, Apple continues to expand its reign in the mobile wireless industry with its phenomenally successful iPhone.
Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. In January of this year Jobs stepped aside to 'focus on [his] health.' He has declined to elaborate on his condition.
The official letter from Steve Jobs, following:
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
