Off-topic: Jobs takes six-month health break

Can't help taking note that Steve Jobs announced he is taking a six-month leave as his health problems are "more complex" than originally thought. This just a week after he said his problems were just a hormone problem.

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

So now we find out whether Apple can roll out innovation and brilliant marketing with its 32,000 employees, or whether the whole thing comes unraveled without Steve. Wall Street is unhappy.

Apple will be led by COO Tim Cook. And just who is he? Adam Lashinsky wrote a long profile for Fortune which depicts Cook as the guy already running day-to-day ops.

It turns out that although Cook and Jobs are in many ways opposites, the No. 2 exec is equally obsessive and exacting about his work. ... there's every reason to believe that Apple would at least be stable for some years to come if Cook were to find himself at the helm. The reason: He's essentially been running much of the company for years.