Apple boss Steve Jobs has taken medical leave

It has come to light that Apple boss Steve jobs will be taking medical leave from the world-wide leading manufacturer to focus on his health.

An email has circulated to Apple staff to notify them of the sudden change and that Mr Jobs will be taking leave to focus on his health, but also went on to say he will be back as soon as possible. This is no surprise when looking at the past condition of the Apple boss.

Jobs has suffered with many illnesses over the past years including a liver transplant and his battle against pancreatic cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2004 and led to surgery to remove a tumour from the effected organ.

The email recognized the board of directors and their decision in granting medical leave and that Tim Cook has been appointed to act on Mr Jobs behalf in the meantime.

Cook is no stranger to the shoes he has to fill as this isn’t the first time that he’s had to take the reigns as Jobs has taken leave before for medical issues.

Last time Jobs took a 6 month leave, Apple’s stock took a serious hit, with investors unsure of the company’s future, though as he is retaining the main role in the company, hopefully the effects will not be the most severe.

This puts Apple in a rather tricky predicament; one of the main driving forces of the company is Jobs himself; if incapacitated, innovation may well be replaced with renovation; with re-designs of old products instead of brand new ones. The other problem is that they will be unable to replace him while he retains the chief position, preventing them from appointing someone similar.

Mr Jobs is considered a well-respected individual in terms of Apples success and is responsible for the direction that the iPhone and iPad have taken and with rumours of the second generation iPad soon to be launched, Apple will be hoping for a speedy recovery of their CEO.