• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, August 25, 2011

Bowing to the inevitable, Steve Jobs stepped aside late Wednesday so Tim Cook can write Apple's next chapter as CEO. The contents of that chapter, however -- and how it will impact the Web and consumer electronics -- remained open questions on Thursday.

"While [Jobs] may have been the primary architect and a key building block of the company ... he isn't the lynchpin, GigaOm assures. "Meaning, that even with Jobs out of the equation ... the future for Apple looks bright."

Meanwhile, "Cook may not be the product visionary that Jobs is and he may not be the showman, but he's clearly got the skills to lead the company," writes All Things Digital. Still, "Steve Jobs' resignation ... will not disrupt the company's product plans in the short-term, but could dull its ability to dazzle consumers down the road," Computerworld suggests.

"With Steve Jobs stepping down ... big clouds are gathering over the company's future: Doubters will ask whether Apple can continue its storied excellence," writes a less-forgiving VentureBeat. "The rap that has always dogged Apple -- that its fortunes are too intimately tied to the genius of Jobs -- will come to the fore in a major way."

Yet, saying more than any analyst can, the market on Thursday appeared to give Cook a vote of confidence. Indeed, amid a modest price drop, "The market seems to have A. priced in Jobs' eventual departure, and B. realized the company is in good hands for the next few years," writes Business Insider.