Apple Experts: Stop Comparing Tim Cook to Steve Jobs

It’s been one year since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and the company’s new leader Tim Cook has been endlessly compared to the former CEO.

There’s no denying that Jobs revolutionized the tech industry and truly impacted the way we communicate and connect with others, but on the anniversary of his death, Apple experts are urging people to stop comparing Cook with his former boss.

“The company has changed, but that is inevitable,” said Robert X. Cringely, a veteran tech journalist and author of Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition.

“Part of this is related to Cook, but another part is the maturation of Apple’s overall businesses. The company seems a little less secretive than it used to be, but that’s an artifact of success: you can’t order 10 million of something from China and keep it a secret.”

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Apple has received some scrutiny in the latest months for information leaking out of its factories ahead of product launches â€" something that was far less likely to occur in the past.

Another point of recent criticism was Cook’s open apology letter to customers regarding its problematic Maps app that replaced its existing Google Maps app in the company’s newest software update. Some believe Steve Jobs would have never apologized for the issue, and neither should Tim Cook.

“I do think it’s wrong that people keep asking, ‘What would happen if Steve were still alive?’” said Jim Dalrymple, editor in chief at The Loop. “Tim Cook is not Steve and he doesn’t try to be. He is his own man and he’ll run Apple the way he thinks is best. Steve chose Tim to succeed him as CEO, so clearly he had confidence in his abilities to run the company.”

Dalrymple added that the company has made great strides in the past year, all under Cook’s guidance.

“There’s no doubt that Apple is continuing to move forward under Tim Cook’s leadership,” he said. “They released a new iPad, iOS 6, Mountain Lion and the iPhone 5, which had more than 2 million pre-orders. There’s nothing I’ve seen in the last year that would lead me to believe that Apple will not continue its rise.”

Cringely agrees, adding the company’s potential for even greater financial growth is still on the horizon.

“In terms of mystique, I think Apple has peaked â€" there will never be another Steve,” says Cringely. “In terms of industry success, there’s still plenty of upside to go in Cupertino. If Apple had Amazon’s price-earnings-radio, for example, it would be a $12 trillion company.”

“One change I am expecting is for Apple to start spending some of that cash,” he added. “It will be fascinating to see what they do with it.”

But one year after his passing, Jobs’ legacy remains strong:

“Steve was an incredible man. The things that he did in his short life have literally changed the world â€" not many people can say that,” Dalrymple said. “On a personal level, his passing still makes me sad because I wonder what else he could have done. How much more could a man like that have accomplished? The possibilities are endless, but we’ll never know.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, EdStock