Me thinks that these "consumers" don't know anything about Apple's history, both with and without Job's being behind the wheel. If they did, the results would be quite different IMO. I mean really, do raw materials alone constitute the potential they possess or is it the ideas put forth by men, which shape those materials, that have more to do with the final product ?
If this weren't the case, then Microsoft should be able to produce products which are just as good or if not better. And this isn't me being a fanboi.. I used to use Windows, most of you know that.. This is me saying "here's why I switched to using OS X". But the fact is, that the likes of Ballmer just don't add up to much of anything (unless you like dealing with negative integers) in this regard.
Who knows what ideas or decisions the next CEO of Apple is going to bring to the table ? Jobs' has paved a road for Apple which will hopefully stay true to the current model for a long time to come. That means replacing him with someone who has the same zeal, business sense and frankly.. balls to set the wheels in motion, for whatever their imagination sees as being innovative or inventive.
Doug
