Apple’s board of directors announced today in a press release that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple Inc, naming COO Tim Cook as his successor.
The move is hardly surprising considering Job’s continuing health issues, which have forced him to take three medical leaves of absence since 2004. According to the press release, Jobs will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board for the foreseeable future.
So what does this mean for mobile application developers?
Likely, nothing. Nothing at all. Jobs’ continued involvement in the company as Chairman will ensure that his influence is felt for years to come. In many ways, Apple’s current situation is not much different than it was during Jobs’ two most recent absences, when Tim Cook oversaw day-to-day operations for months at a time. Nonetheless, the market is freaking out about it, just like it has every time before, regardless of the fact that Apple was briefly the most valuable company in the world just a few weeks ago.