a multibillion dollar company of one....

Apple definitely does nice products....I don't usually like the way they operate (they tend to be to limiting), but I cant argue with the fact that they look great. Great industrial design and great graphic design... they usually work well too... good hardware and relatively robust software (but I still tend not to like them)...

but I digress... what I want to talk about is Steve Jobs. The guy is pretty bright. Has a history of having been pretty bright all along. His iPod success is not a one time deal, but the continuation of one success after another (with few flops) he has always been at the forefront of technology. He has designed revolutionary products (I don't care who copied who) and has created a cult of followers that follow his every move, every word, and every product launch. So much so, that "Apple Computer" could easily be called "Steve Jobs Computer" and nobody would notice. Which is what I find a little risky. Apple's stock has been rising continuously, apples profits have skyrocketed thanks to the iPod, the new Intel based macs will probably continue or even increase the growth trend. But do people really like the products? lemmingly follow them because they find the products useful/better/etc? or do they just follow them because most reporters like anything and everything Steve Jobs has to offer? Obviously reporters affect the masses so if they like Steve, the masses will like Steve too.

So what would happen to apple if something happened to Steve Jobs? Lets say he quits or gets fired (it has happened before), or worse yet, what if he dies (he IS human even though most mac lovers don't see him that way....and humans have been known to die...it does happen).
What would happen to apple? Would it return to the disaster it was in the late 80s and early 90s? What would happen to its stock? Would apple be worth anything? What type of products would come out of apple?