The problem is that Steve Jobs isn&#x27;t around any more to give the company the proper focus and hold everyone to a high quality standard.<p>The recent slippage in quality and focus mirrors what happened in the late 80s and early 90s after Steve was forced out. There was considerable leftover momentum in the short term which allowed the company to coast for while and keep up some semblance of health, but eventually the lack of focus caught up with them. They became &quot;beleaguered&quot; in the mid-90s and only recovered when Steve came back (and axed products that weren&#x27;t working, focused resources on new problems, simplified the product line, etc). It took many years, but he eventually turned them into a powerhouse.<p>Now that he&#x27;s been gone for a while, we are seeing a similar phenomenon. In the short term after he left, the company had considerable momentum (due mostly to the iPhone) which carried them along for a number of years, but without someone at the top who had his ability to maintain focus, the company is starting to slip again.<p>This time, there may be no coming back.