Local Mac Users Optimistic

Some Apple users reacted harshly to the alarming news their leader was taking a six-month sabbatical to recover from a persistent illness.
Steve Jobs has mostly looked gaunt and languid since he overcame a rare form of pancreatic cancer four years ago. His appearance sparked widespread speculation - and fear - about his health.
His "hormone imbalance" forced him to skip this year's expo in San Francisco. He admitted a few weeks ago that his health concerns are "more complex" than originally thought and that he needed a lengthy absence to recover.
Historically, Apple's success has seemingly been tied to Jobs' health and/or job status. There is much concern among Mac users about the future and whether the company will maintain its reputation for innovation.
"My feeling is that Apple has such a strong product line that it's no longer as dependent upon Steve Jobs as many would think," said Cheryl Smeed, secretary of the Bay Area Macintosh Users Group. "The computer line is made up of arguably the best machines, whether one runs Windows on them or not, and the iPhone and iPod product lines as well as iTunes, are quickly becoming industry standards."
The local Apple scene is not quite so vast as in other parts of the country. The nearest Mac clubs are in Largo and Crystal River. None exist in Hernando County.
Those who do use Macs are fiercely loyal. Some might also have a PC elsewhere in the house, but the Apple is the one they have in a special place in their office or bedroom. It's sort of like owning a Porsche and a Ford. The Porsche always stays in the garage. The Ford can be parked anywhere.
Virginia Chilcote, who heads the Bay-area Mac group, has Microsoft Vista on one of her Macs. She wants to get rid of it. She'd rather have the disk space.
She was not worried about how the company would do under the direction of anyone other than Jobs.
"Steve Jobs has been innovative and brought Apple to a level where if he wasn't around, it would still do fine," said Chilcote, who also is the editor of MouseBytes, an Internet publication for Tampa-area Mac users.
She has noticed over the years how Apple stock goes down whenever he is absent for long stretches, but it goes up whenever newspapers print photos of him holding the latest iPod.
"It's almost like he has Hollywood status," Chilcote said.
Jobs was not around from 1985 to 1996. By the time he returned in an advisory role, the company had fallen so far behind some analysts were predicting a complete demise for a company that a decade earlier had changed the way personal computers were designed and sold.
That hasn't been forgotten by Richard Theriault, who has been a Mac user since 1985.
"I remember year after year when the press informed us gravely and with certainty that Apple would not survive until the end of the year," he said. "Somehow, Apple is still here after decades of those pronouncements."
When Jobs rejoined, he knew he had a small, but loyal following from which to build.
He became chief executive officer in 1997 and one of his first big moves was to announce the company's partnership with Microsoft and integrate versions of its software into the latest Macs. Jobs was joined on stage via satellite by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Many in the crowd booed. They were reluctant to adjust to a software system they had resisted for years, but it was the first time Apple showed its willingness to share and assimilate.
Jobs thought in order to survive, the company needed to shed its loner mentality. Its refusal to do so in the years prior was a major factor in its declining status, analysts have said.
Since returning to the company he co-founded, Jobs has introduced iTunes, the iPod and the iPhone. Year after year, Apple's loyal customer base restlessly waits to see the latest launch of a sleek, new computer that breaks the mold. At least that is the public's perception.
"When I though of Apple, Macintosh or any of the programs Apple/Mac created, they all were just elements of Steve Jobs to me," said Gail B. Mitchell, a Mac user in Homosassa. "He was the founder, the guru whose ideas inspired me and encouraged me to purchase the next version of the Mac."
When news of Jobs' latest health concerns was announced, there was a feeling of dread among many long-time Apple loyalists. Stock prices dropped by 7 percent the following day.
To add to their worries, many people walked away from the Jobs-less Macworld conference deflated over the lack of innovative products. Some think his absence comes during a trying time. The company has hit a creative ebb and the sputtering economy is getting worse.
Ginny Diaz, a Mac user in Brooksville, is not feeling the gloom.
"I guess he knew how to introduce a cool computer and they knew how to market it," she said. "Apple caters to a younger, hipper crowd. Some might think it all has to do with Steve Jobs, but I'm wondering whether that is a little misplaced ... The perception might be that it was him, but I don't see it that way. Maybe it was true when Apple was smaller."
Apple has redefined itself under Jobs' leadership, she said. It has carved a larger niche, mostly among the young, affluent types, and expanded into new markets.
Macintosh also keeps attracting new members.
Local artist Julie Komenda switched after a series of episodes with her PC.
She purchased her computer from the online Apple Store, but the transition didn't go smoothly. It was difficult switching from Windows to a completely different operating system.
"It was very difficult and it was not intuitive for me," she said. "(But) if I had a choice today between a computer with Windows Vista on it or an Apple, I'd buy an Apple. It's opened my world."
Her take on Jobs' absence was no different from the others. She doesn't see how one man can make that much of a difference.
"To me, he's more of a figurehead," she said. "I can't imagine he's the only on making the decisions ... not when you're talking about all the power and money that's involved there."
Theriault thinks the right people have been "groomed" during the past several years.
"The design talent remains," he said. "The operational talent remains ... The originality remains. I'm firmly convinced that Apple will continue to prosper and create innovative, marketable products for decades, with or without Steve. Hopefully with, for many reasons."