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Steve Jobs Had a Liver Transplant Two Months Ago

LaDirection said:
You are unbelievably out of touch with reality.

EVERYTHING that is Apple, from the **** mouse to the great industrial designs, from the complete lack of gaming support to great strong focus on music... EVERYTHING from A to Z is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs alone. And while board members have fought him on many points, Apple is often regarded as the only company that can so much far reaching innovations so fast because it's run by 1 mind who has total power over everything. There isn't a single person or corporation that cold have brought the music majors to their knees and create a brand new music industry out of thin air.

Steve Jobs has an hypnotic-like charisma that is nearly unequaled in the business world and when he goes for good, so will Apple. Within a few years it will lose focus again and become another generic tech company, but unlike other companies like MS or Dell, Apple's business model in ever field is innovation and so they will eventually die or sell out.
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"Reality" here seems to be unique to the individual writing about it. ;)

It is equally valid to argue that at some point, Apple will have achieved a "break-even" point with Jobs, and find itself nesteld comfortably in the respective markets in which it wants to compete, with the remaining challenge of maintaining current traction and creating new markets.

We cannot at this point make any concrete judgments to the extent of Jobs' influence on the more promising minds of the Apple organization. Although Silicon Valley doesn't seem to have nurtured another mind like Steve Jobs, the culture and ceative environment at Apple, if anything, is the cradle consumer tech innovation, and there is a far greater chance that a Jobs-like figure would emerge from the heart of that organization.

We've learned, and we can be certain, that while it may not be necessary to have a carbon-copy of Steve Jobs walking around, it IS necessary for the organization as a whole to operate under the unifying vision of one talented and commanding individual. To assume that only Steve Jobs in particular is capable of fulfilling such a role is rather narrow-minded. There are, for instance, members of the design and engineering team at Apple who are just as attentive to detail and remarkably focused as Jobs, Scott Forstall being a prime example.

Much of the team is composed of veterans from NeXT, which is already a definite advantage. Forstall, for instance, has remarked that: "I actually have a photographer's loupe that I use to make sure every pixel is right," he told Time. "We will argue over literally a single pixel." THAT is the kind of thinking and language that seems to suggest that not all is lost if Jobs should, by natural causes or otherwise, become completely uninvolved with Apple.

I, for one, think Bertrand Serlet strikes an extremely interesting figure . . .
 
As sad as this news is for Apple fans like us, it's SJ and his family we should be thinking about.

Prognosis in these situations is a tricky business, best left to the doctors - and they'll often be the first to say that they don't know. The most positive thing that you can do when someone is sick is to stay positive and be open minded about what they may be capable of.

Everyone knows that Steve is a fighter, and I suspect that we'll see him live to make IT history once more. And to people bitching about stock prices... get a life.
 
Tallest Skil said:
He was reported to have been back on campus earlier this month.
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Which I thought was a good sign. Probably checking the overall flow of the WWDC keynote.

Foocha said:
As sad as this news is for Apple fans like us, it's SJ and his family we should be thinking about.
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Agree.

Foocha said:
And to people bitching about stock prices... get a life.
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It's times like this were you see a person's character on display.

Sometimes what you see is the worst in people.
 
LaDirection said:
Steve Jobs has an hypnotic-like charisma that is nearly unequaled in the business world and when he goes for good, so will Apple.
Click to expand...

Fortunately for Apple, I think a lot of people actually do buy their devices without having to be first hypnotized by Jobs' salesman tactics. Not everyone hangs on his words.

Within a few years it will lose focus again and become another generic tech company, but unlike other companies like MS or Dell, Apple's business model in ever field is innovation and so they will eventually die or sell out.
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As Devil's advocate:

For every time that Jobs has grabbed someone else's idea and run with it (e.g. iPod), he's also faltered or been a roadblock (The Lisa. The ROKR. NeXT. Tying the iPhone to exclusives instead of going for the whole market).

I think we'll see the iPhone really blossom after he's gone from total control. Look at some of the Pre concepts from ex-employees whose ideas were ignored.

Will anyone else get press coverage like he does? No. He was the PT Barnum of the electronics world. Are there enough non-sheeple buyers around to keep Apple going? I think so.
 
From the LA TIMES today...

"One study examining the outcome of liver transplants for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors concluded that "although cure is not impossible, it is improbable." The paper, published in 2004 in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, examined transplants for 11 patients and found a one-year survival rate of 73% and a five-year survival rate of 36%."

That seems to dispute the information in this story. Not good. :(
 
zub3qin said:
Best of luck to you and congratulations!

Do you mind if we ask how long you had to wait, and how sick you needed to be before getting the liver? There is a lot of speculation going on here and you have first hand knowledge.
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I love to share. I paid $500,000 to get to the top of the list (jk). I waited about 13 weeks to get my liver. The points system is based on your MELD score which is based on your liver function. A normal person has a MELD of 3-6 and most people get transplants when they are in the 22-28 point range. I was awarded an exception because of the rare nature of the cancer I had and I was actually "bumped" several times by people who's condition worsened and need a transplant immediately. People with liver disease can go down hill pretty fast and sometimes it can be a matter of 24-48 hours.

A few more points I'd like to make. First, most people who get liver transplants now live a long life. Of course, it all depends on how sick you are before the transplant. I am lucky. I was 35 when I needed my transplant and was otherwise healthy (as long as you ignore the fact that my liver was 50% tumors). I'm now 37 and my doctors expect me to live a normal, healthy life.

There are too many other incorrect facts to mention here, but if you have any other questions.

I consider myself very lucky and again urge everyone who has taken the time to post to this forum, to take the time to register as an organ donor.
 
darn right....

rtdunham said:
PROPOSAL: any subsequent posts on this thread, the poster should declare whether he/she is or is not an organ donor.

Let me start: I am an organ donor.

If this thread could get just ten or 20 or 100 people to sign up, then all the rest of this drivel would have accomplished something worthwhile, and would have shown far more respect for Steve than anything anyone can say.
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I too am an organ donor. And you are right there is something good in this thread if that alone comes about.

You can't take it with you. You can however leave good behind.
 
HyperZboy said:
From the LA TIMES today...

"One study examining the outcome of liver transplants for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors concluded that "although cure is not impossible, it is improbable." The paper, published in 2004 in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, examined transplants for 11 patients and found a one-year survival rate of 73% and a five-year survival rate of 36%."

That seems to dispute the information in this story. Not good. :(
Click to expand...

That study was for a specific form of liver cancer. People receive transplants for a variety of reasons and the long-term survival rates vary widely based on age and reason for transplant.
 
LaDirection said:
You are unbelievably out of touch with reality.

EVERYTHING that is Apple, from the **** mouse to the great industrial designs, from the complete lack of gaming support to great strong focus on music... EVERYTHING from A to Z is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs alone. And while board members have fought him on many points, Apple is often regarded as the only company that can so much far reaching innovations so fast because it's run by 1 mind who has total power over everything. There isn't a single person or corporation that cold have brought the music majors to their knees and create a brand new music industry out of thin air.

Steve Jobs has an hypnotic-like charisma that is nearly unequaled in the business world and when he goes for good, so will Apple. Within a few years it will lose focus again and become another generic tech company, but unlike other companies like MS or Dell, Apple's business model in ever field is innovation and so they will eventually die or sell out.
Click to expand...

As much as I hate to admit it, I think you are right. Steve Jobs is a man who has the power to not only bring out the best in people but also to almagate talents from people to create unique and innovative products.
 
Consider....

kdarling said:
(snip)

As Devil's advocate:

For every time that Jobs has grabbed someone else's idea and run with it (e.g. iPod), he's also faltered or been a roadblock (The Lisa. The ROKR. NeXT. Tying the iPhone to exclusives instead of going for the whole market).
Click to expand...

Touche regarding the Lisa but the ROKR was not a Jobs product from
beginning to end, that was just grafting iTunes to an existing phone.
And NeXT may have seemed like a boondoggle but it lead directly to
the OS X we use today.

As far as Steve's liver transplant, I can only wish him well. His
reasonably healthy lifestyle propr to this bodes well for his long-
term survival versus the average american who might not have
the same health habits.
 
CapDC said:
That study was for a specific form of liver cancer. People receive transplants for a variety of reasons and the long-term survival rates vary widely based on age and reason for transplant.
Click to expand...

As a follow up, most transplant centers won't do the transplant unless they feel that the person has a better long-term prognosis with the new liver.
 
LaDirection said:
...EVERYTHING from A to Z is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs alone. And while board members have fought him on many points, Apple is often regarded as the only company that can so much far reaching innovations so fast because it's run by 1 mind who has total power over everything. There isn't a single person or corporation that cold have brought the music majors to their knees and create a brand new music industry out of thin air.

Steve Jobs has an hypnotic-like charisma that is nearly unequaled in the business world and when he goes for good, so will Apple. Within a few years it will lose focus again and become another generic tech company, but unlike other companies like MS or Dell, Apple's business model in ever field is innovation and so they will eventually die or sell out.
Click to expand...

While I agree with a lot of what you are saying I don't agree entirely to say that Apple's business model is going to eventually die or sell out is not necessarily true - The bottom line is that we the consumers have the power. If Apple comes out with a bad product we are totally within our rights not to buy it and then the share holders will demand that Apple create a product that we decide to buy. Now its equally possible that another company may emerge as an innovator and take some of Apple's market share but that is what free trade is all about - Look at what happened to Sony with the Walkman - Apple embraced digital music and created the iPod and Sony's Walkman is now a memory for most of us - some people will never know what a Walkman was - But basically that was an example of people voting for what they wanted with their money. Now I'm sure the board of directors over at Apple are painfully aware that they need to do what they can to keep hold of what ever marketshare they have and to keep developing new products to expand that market share. Now this is where I think Steve Jobs will be missed - in the long term vision of planning where to invest R&D.

So in a sense I agree and disagree with your statement - The issue is more along the lines of can Apple continue to develop without Steve Job's vision and is the talent and management that currently exists in the company enough to continue what he has started also is there a system in place for the new talents to be recognized and appreciated. But I guess only time will tell.

:rolleyes::apple:
 
Speaking from a physician's point of view, this makes very little sense. Some aspect of what was said before or this new story is false. I've taken care of a number of people on transplant lists. Qualifying for a liver transplant is extremely difficult. You have to be near death's door to qualify, and with good reason. The surgery is a complete mayhem. Your liver is responsible for making coagulation factors, among its many duties. So shortly after the old liver is taken out, everything starts bleeding. If you make it through the surgery, there is acute rejection to get through, along with the opportunistic infections, medication toxicities, etc. Transplanting patients with cancer is extremely controversial, as usually the cancer has spread beyond just the liver, even if you can't see it on any scans. And all of this doesn't fit in with what Steve said in his letter. Steve did not have the appearance of someone with chronic liver disease. It would be unusual to come back to work so soon after this kind of procedure as well.

Of course, Steve's health information is private and his own. But when he sends a letter, if that letter is deliberately deceptive, all bets are off and shareholders have a right to be angry if they've been misled.

Dave
 
jmann said:
Let's hope he does come back soon. I hope he feels better. *crosses fingers* :)
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while we all want him well were there not quite a dozen if us saying he's leave had nothing to do with hormone problems.
Still, some decent product launches.

The only problems are a mid range mac pro, Att only for iPhone and still no netbook.

Wish him and everyone safe and healthy stay well prayers, vibes and wishes.
 
hiimamac said:
while we all want him well were there not quite a dozen if us saying he's leave had nothing to do with hormone problems.
Still, some decent product launches.

The only problems are a mid range mac pro, Att only for iPhone and still no netbook.
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Problems from whose perspective?

The ATT issue I suppose I can understand, though it's been extremely good for Apple and AT&T.

The mid-range Mac Pro idea is really a no-go, especially in this economy. Desktop sales are horrible as it is. It would be an unnecessary addition and a money-loser.

And a netbook? Why should Apple make one?
 
I wonder if Jobs will have something up his sleeve when he returns. I mean the company products have been doing well but Jobs always has something great waiting in the wings. Maybe this september he could unleash it to the world.

http://ziggytek.com/
 
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