Tim Cook remembers Steve Jobs with letter to Apple employees on two year anniversary of his passing
Saturday marks the second anniversary of the passing of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and visionary behind the iPod, iPhone and iPad. On Friday, in a letter to Apple staff obtained by 9to5Mac, current CEO Tim Cook evoked Jobs' "leadership" and "friendship."
Read the full letter below:
Team-
Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Steve’s death. I hope everyone will reflect on what he meant to all of us and to the world. Steve was an amazing human being and left the world a better place.I think of him often and find enormous strength in memories of his friendship, vision and leadership. He left behind a company that only he could have built and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We will continue to honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to the work he loved so much. There is no higher tribute to his memory. I know that he would be proud of all of you.
Best,
Tim
The company has continued its retail success since Job's death, with the release of last month's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c becoming Apple's largest grossing device launch weekend ever.
Two years later, the absence of Jobs at Apple is still fodder for debate among techies.
Hartmut Esslinger, former Apple design contractor and co-worker of Jobs, for example, said last month that the iPhone is no longer “smart enough” to be considered truly innovative. The alum complained that "Apple has reached, in a certain way, a saturation," according to The Atlantic Wire.
Others saw Apple's move to develop two iPhones this year, one presented as an "affordable" variant, as something Steve Jobs would never have done. Cook, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, addressed the topic by assuring critics, although some companies desire to release cheap products just to get market response, that doesn't characterize the direction Apple is taking with the iPhone 5c.
"We're not in the junk business," he told Bloomberg.
Read Cook's full letter to employees above and watch Apple's 2012 tribute video to Steve Jobs below.
