Ceding Spotlight, Jobs Signals His Departure

“Steve Jobs is leaving Apple,” declares Jesus Diaz of Gizmodo. “Not tomorrow, but probably very soon.” That’s the conclusion Diaz drew from yesterday’s MacBook unveiling, which saw the rock star CEO for once cede the spotlight to his top lieutenants, as if to announce, “Hey, look, Apple is more than Steve.” Jobs is preparing the world, in case his health forces him to step down.

Jobs joked about that health yesterday, and the media’s obsession with watching him decline, but he’s obviously preparing a succession plan. Tim Cook sent a major signal by aping Jobs' trademark color scheme, donning blue jeans and a black shirt. “Seems stupid,” Diaz admits, “but you can bet it wasn’t coincidental.” (More Steve Jobs stories.)