SLIGHT TUMBLE: Pedestrians walking past an Apple Store in San Francisco. Shares of Apple Inc fell modestly on Jan 18 following the company's disclosure that Jobs is taking another medical leave of absence. - AP
SAN FRANCISCO: If investors were as visionary as Steve Jobs has proved to be during his 35 years of tech wizardry, they might be able to figure out whether Apple can still thrive if its founder and CEO doesn't return from his indefinite medical leave.
But Jobs' prescience is a rarity, which is why doubt and anxiety will probably hang over the company until his fate is clearer.
The iPod-iPhone-iPad revolution that Jobs unleashed over the past decade should ensure that Apple's revenue and earnings keep growing for at least the next two to three years, according to analysts.
What's more, Jobs has assembled and trained a savvy, hard-driving management team that should be capable of following his road map for the company.
The question is whether Apple can remain a step ahead and develop products that reshape technology, media and pop culture if Jobs isn't around to divine the next big thing.