And while Apple is the leader, and profitable, they have lost some significant market-share to, of all things, Kindle. They have MAJOR competition coming this year from Microsoft (whose product will be an enterprise-level solution, unlike iPad).
Of course they're going to lose market share. They started off with pretty much 100%. There was only one way for them to go. But while they don't have the percentage, they still have increasing sales. I don't care if Android sells phones too, or Amazon is selling Kindles. I'm watching Apple's stock go from $200 to $350 to $500 and it's at $590 today. I'm not wrapped up in the Microsoft vs. Apple stuff, I prefer their products, I view them as superior, and I'm reading over and over again that AAPL is headed towards $900 or $1000. That's my genuine level of interest in the whole thing. But yeah, I'm not seeing anything from these other companies that makes me think that they are any more cutting edge / leading edge than Apple.
And people are definitely saying asking questions about direction. I am not saying those questions are justified in reality, but perception can be reality.
They still have direction... the Apple TV will be the next big thing, and they'll sell a gazillion iPhone 5's later this year.
Also, even if Steve DID lay out a "plan," what good is any plan that does not react to market conditions? To me this is more of a negative than a positive.
I'm sure that Tim Cook has an appreciation for flexibility. I'm just saying they have ideas in the pipe, and many if not most of these ideas take years to develop anyway. Apple is perfectly stable for now and there isn't an innovation gap at this point.
The iPad is a wonderful device for consumption, but it is lousy (with a few exceptions) as a creative device.
Don't disagree there. I'm certainly not getting one to run After Effects or Photoshop on. It's for internet, movies, games... it's great for traveling, etc...