Former Microsoftie Believes Apple Has Lost Its Way

The classic rivalry between Microsoft and Apple may have abated a little these past few years, but you can rest assured that there is no love lost between both companies and their fans.

Another arrow was let lose earlier today when former Microsoft executive, Bob Herbold, made a claim that Apple has lost its way with Tim Cook as the lead.

Bob served as a chief operating officer at the software giant.

In an article over at Forbes, the former Microsoft COO said that Apple has not been the same since Steve Jobs died. To be terribly honest, Microsoft has not been the same either since Bill Gates retired, though Redmond has had Ballmer as CEO even during the Age of Bill.

Even though he has not mentioned Tim Cook by name above, it is very clear who he is talking about. Herbold is of the view that Cook is not a leader — just an administrator:

“The leader needs to be paranoid about making the core offerings of the organization more exciting and more impactful with its customers. That sounds simple, but doing it with clarity and speed is absolutely necessary. You must avoid any kind of bureaucracy that can water down the impact of your efforts or slow it to a snail’s pace.”

He further cites Apple’s declining stocks as sign that public is losing interest in the company. Though admittedly, only Google among the elite technology company has seen its stock go up. Microsoft shares have also been on a downwards trend for a while now.

The fix? Bob says that Apple needs a visionary leader that can reverse Apple’s fortune.

Your thoughts on this, people? Is the recent Golden era of Apple a thing of the past or can the Cupertino based technology firm find its mojo back soon? The comment box below is waiting for action.