Apple will still be able to make great products, as Steve Jobs had some product concepts in the lineup before he left. Even so, Apple does not rely only on Steve Jobs to come up with products. They also may be purchased by or merge with another company, which will allow them to innovate further.

Three Reasons Why Apple Will Survive Without Steve Jobs
http://cultofmac.com/three-reasons-why-apple-will-survive-without-steve-jobs/6345

1. Apple Survived Without Jobs Before

2. The Routinization of Charisma

3. Pixar
Source(s):
http://cultofmac.com/three-reasons-why-apple-will-survive-without-steve-job...

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Yes, Apple can survive without Steve Jobs, but it'll be different. I don't think there's any CEO more obsessed with perfection than Steve. Whoever replaces him will likely be not as concerned with perfection (i.e., seamless designs, attention to details) and the product line will likely be less quality than what it is today.

However, this is not to say that they can't improve if Steve were no longer able to run the company. With designers like Jony Ive and all the other creative types at Apple, there could be a surge in a deeper-rooted commitment to quality.

At the end of the day, though, it all boils down to leadership and Apple must find a leader whose qualities mirror that of Steve's: workaholic, drill sergeant, obsessive compulsive about quality and the fine details, and committed to fit and finish.

Also, take a look at the Top 10 Apple Influencers of 2009, by Mac|Life's December 2008 issue.
Source(s):
http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/top_10_apple_influencers_2009

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I would like to think that Apple would survive without Steve Jobs, however it's not gonna be the same without him. For sure, there are a lot of people behind him that made Apple the way it is today. Those people, I suppose are equally important to the company as Steve Jobs himself. There are all these talented developers, designers and executives that could keep the legacy together.
I have high hopes but only time can tell. Anything can happen.

According to Robert Scoble's tweet: It's not one person that makes Apple. It's a process/attitude.
Source(s):
Just my opinion.

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It'll be difficult for them (us)... But it has to be done. SJ just has a hormone imbalance for now. But everyone's mortal (yeah, I'm not revealing a great truth, just admitting it.) Cowboy saying: "It's a great life if you don't weaken, but who the heck wants to be strong?"

Apple has to make great PRODUCTS instead of relying upon a great personality to push them. Black sweaters alone won't cut it. There's Woz for awhile. And hopefully Apple won't turn down the stodgy uncreative distant corporate suited stuffed-white-shirt-and-tie primrose path of IBM, Microsoft, and now, Google, and perhaps even Mozilla (see comments on the IceWeasel website).

Apple needs to keep up the creative edge, keep the great smarts in the hardware and software, and keep the users in mind (BE RESPONSIVE!). That doesn't take a great personality. That takes a great company.
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I think it can because the other people at apple are as infused with the mac culture as he is. Obviously nobody could ever replace him, but I think that the spirit of apple/mac will continue be as strong as ever even without it's mentor.
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Sure it will.

First, Jobs currently announced a 6 month hiatus. If he comes back, nothing is going to skip a beat in those six months. Things that were going to come out will come out, and things that weren't yet under development... won't.

I do think he will retire after that, it looks like his health is deteriorating, so the rest of this post is assuming he is retiring.

I'd be willing to bet that Apple will continue with strong growth... for a while. As long as they maintain the current methodology - offering quality items, but at very premium prices, they've got some momentum and will keep it for a while.

Steve Jobs may have some level of involvement in the design of products, but he doesn't design them himself. The same designers at Apple are still there, and will still design products in the same manner - I forsee no major shift in project development in the short to medium term. A few years or more out the door, we can't really predict.

They will continue to grow in the consumer electronics area. I would expect them to push some sort of related new line of products in the next couple of years where they quickly gain market share a la iPhone/iPod. These things are their real opportunity for growth.

Apple may grow and hit a 13-15% market share, but they'll hit a somewhat soft wall where their pricing keeps them from going higher. It could be higher, but I don't think they will ever see 20% without a completely different strategy. The monopolistic hardware strategy will have its limits.

The biggest possible difference I see between a Jobs-led apple and someone else under the help is that a new CEO might see potential value in allowing OSX to be installed on non Apple computers in the EULA. This would push Apple in the same direction Microsoft has taken from the start, and it may or may not work well for a variety of reasons.

This would help push a consumer focused basis for growth. They may be able to get some corporate share, but you won't see them winning over Windows in the average office.

If this happens, OSX will gain significant market share (Install it on any old computer, legally, and without hacks), but not without significant risk. It will put Apple in a situation where they will have to compete with hardware from other companies, which will be priced significantly lower, and thus, they will lose a share of the hardware market, in sacrifice for more of the software market. A greater focus on software, pushing products like iLife, Aperture, say, a premium version of Garage Band, would give them a significantly larger user base to sell software and services to, and lock more people in to the OSX/iTunes dichotomy - IE, push a unitary platform with complete integration for digitally distributed content with OSX being the centerpiece of it - like how it is now, but better integrated. I'll imagine the Macbook will be their biggest hardware seller for a long time to come. Apple's strength comes from integration of everything, and they need to push that for the people who want it. This can be done with or without Jobs.

Now, depending on who takes over, the company could take on other strategies that may or may not work - an alternate would be -

Keep OSX on Apple hardware, but make more Windows software, to try and get people under their wing. Accept the smallish, but profitable hardware niche, and push to maintain that as high as possible while offering new consumer electronics type devices which interface with any OS (a la iPod/iPhone).

Apple is positioned very well in the market today, and they have multiple options for future growth, all of which are reasonable, and possible.

What would sink them? Not much at this point. I'd say if they bite off more than they can chew, and alienate some of their user base, they could be in trouble, but I don't expect it to occur.
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I think that once Steve Jobs leaves Apple is going to be hard pressed to maintain its competition with other companies. He is kind of the power behind their talk, and if he leaves they aren't going to be able to do everything that they say they can. However, if he is just on a leave of absence, then I think that Apple will be fine.
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