As the perennial holiday sales fracas between Apple and the rest of the consumer electronic world hits high gear, I am left to wonder if the passing of the company's founder and chief guiding force Steve Jobs will have any negative implications on the final tally of Apple products sold. By all accounts, Jobs was not only a visionary but a hands-on leader, with implications in the technology and design of his products down to the smallest details.
Other factors such as the release of new products from competitors have to be taken into account The release of cheaper smartphones from Samsung and the potential iPad slayer, Kindle Fire, which also comes with a lower price tag are two products in direct competition with Apple. Apple's iPhone is also in competition with Google's Android. According to Nielson, Android has recently surpassed the iPhone as the mobile device with an operating system more used by consumers in the United States.
Will consumers approach Apple products with trepidation, wondering if the latest updates, add-ons and new technologies from the electronics giant will be sub-par without Jobs?
Yung Trang, president of Techbargains.com, a website that offers deals on consumer technology, has not seen a slowing of Apple's sales due to the passing of Jobs and does not predict it anytime soon.
"I think most consumers realize that Steve Jobs had a hand in the development of all current Apple products," Trang wrote to me in an email. "Any slowing in sales is more due to competitive pressures from devices like the Kindle Fire rather than Steve Jobs passing at this point."
This sentiment is shared by Andrew Schrage, founder of Money Crashers, a website devoted to helping people make wise financial decisions. Schrage believes that Apple has created a unique line of products that competitors hope to replicate but often fall short.
"I certainly don't own any crystal ball, but if I were a betting man, I'd say that Apple will survive this hit," Schrage said. "I firmly believe that Apple will emerge in the end as a thriving and highly profitable company that will continue to deliver the latest and greatest innovative devices in the world of technology to the American public. The culture, vision, and product should remain consistent, and I think that in the long run, Apple will continue to be on the cutting edge of electronic devices."
Both Schrage and Trang also agree that Jobs was a great team builder, an innovator who set up his company to maintain solidarity and continue to be on the forefront of technology after his passing.
Consumer experience designer Mike Wittenstein believes that Jobs not only put together a great team but also left roadmap to future technology for that team to follow.
"Personally, I'm looking forward to Apple televisions, laptops with touch screens, and more Apple-like interfaces in things that work with Apple's products, (like in-car dashboards, etc)," Wittenstein said. "Rather than seeing Steve Jobs' death as an end of an era, the gift of his business design for Apple, the capabilities he created for the company, and the examples of his leadership and Apple's accomplishments will inspire current and future employees for years to come."
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