Steve Jobs' Retirement Doesn't Mean the End of iOS Devices Or Macs - Apple Had Succession Plan As Well As Plan To For World of Hurt For Its Competitors

For those of us who have watched Steve Jobs year after year, keynote after keynote, this is going to be such a weird feeling if we don't see him make at least a cameo on stage of whenever Apple's next event is going to be.  Presumably, that will be the unveiling of the next iPhone.

On top of that, there is a feeling of sadness.  The child in me worries about the future, Steve's health, etc.  But the adult in me knows that Apple has the whole mobile market licked.  It's got products in the works years out.  Tim Cook has been running Apple since Steve Jobs went on his second medical leave.

So, here's the bottom line.  Apple had a succession plan for the CEO.  It also means that Apple has a long-term plan for the mobile market as envisioned by Steve Jobs which will dish out a world of hurt for its competitors for many, many years.

• Patent wars will continue.  Apple wants its patents unique to its products and services.
• iPhone 5 will be out in a matter of weeks.  iPhone 6 presumably in 2012 though there probably isn't a need since the iPhone 5 will take the market by storm.
• iPad 3, a nonexistent product, will launch in 2012.
• iPods will get refreshed.
• Macbook Airs will be restocked at 3rd party resellers as soon as Tim Cook can get Foxconn to make enough of them to satisfy demand.  And Apple's own stories has enough of them.
• iPad 2 is the tablet market in 2011 and iPad 3 will be the tablet market in 2012.  
• Mac sales will continue to outpace PC sales.  Acer lost $7 billion because if its bad bets on netbooks and unwillingness to innovate.  While Acer thinks the iPad effect will go away, they should check in with HP - the tablet effect is real and it's called the "iPad".  

As for keynotes in the future, here's how it'lll go assuming Steve Jobs doesn't anchor it at all.

• Tim Cook will do the intro and let folks know how Apple products are kick the collective behinds of its competitors.
• Then he'll bring on Phil Schiller to be the MC.
• Then Phil will bring up whoever is needed to talk about the products and the right third parties to do the demo.

I'm only concern is on a personal level.  Steve's health, not Apple's.  I wish Steve and his family the best and continued guidance in all things Apple for years to come as Apple's chairman.