Steve had it easy simply because he was dictatorial in his style and had the clout to keep Apple on the straight-and-narrow in following his vision. He didn't care about people's feelings nor Wall Street's expectations. Fortunately for him his remarkable understanding about human behavior and product design resulted in very successful, innovative products.
Regarding the competitors catching up. That's the problem with the lack of innovation since Steve died. Tim Cook has been polishing the existing lineup to perfection, but being even two years ahead of the competition in a mature market yields nowhere near the advantage as being at the forefront of a new product lifecycle. Apple never was on the cutting edge of technology, but Steve could recognize an emerging market with mainstream potential and exploit it to its fullest better than anyone else. He knew what people would want two years into the future and targeted his development energies at having the perfect product ready as soon as it was technologically feasible. It makes me wonder what niche products are out there now with clunky designs that Steve could have worked his magic on and made into Apple's next explosively successful line.
