The way a product cycle works at Apple is that first Jobs comes up with an idea (or approves a one, doesn't matter), designers draw it, engineers build it and Cook is responsible for the supply-side (he optimizes the production to keep the costs minimal and supply stable).
Now if we were to take Jobs out of the cycle, the designers would still have the ideas and engineers could build them. This is great and I'm sure they could still come up with excellent products like a new macbook pro with improved battery life. Jobs is responsible for the vision (direction of the company), if it weren't for him nobody would have dared to invest such vast amounts of resources and time into building something like an iPad.
It's in my opinion that Cook can do excellent work in the short-term making the company grow on paper by optimizing the supply side, but in the long-term he lacks the vision to conquer new fronts.
Now if we were to take Jobs out of the cycle, the designers would still have the ideas and engineers could build them. This is great and I'm sure they could still come up with excellent products like a new macbook pro with improved battery life. Jobs is responsible for the vision (direction of the company), if it weren't for him nobody would have dared to invest such vast amounts of resources and time into building something like an iPad.
It's in my opinion that Cook can do excellent work in the short-term making the company grow on paper by optimizing the supply side, but in the long-term he lacks the vision to conquer new fronts.