As new CEO Tim Cook no doubt knows, Steve Jobs is the ultimate hard act to follow. But Cook might take a lesson from the experience of Sam Palmisano, another COO who took over a massive tech company -- in his case, IBM -- and who really delivered for shareholders. With that in mind, here's a game plan for Cook to keep Apple great.
Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave, made a surprise appearance at Apple's launch event to unveil the iPad 2, its next-generation tablet. It will go on sale in the U.S. on March 11. The company's stock edged up on the news.
Apple has accumulated tons of cash, but how should it spend that money? A smart bet would be to use it to bring in the next Steve Jobs -- but there isn't one. Which leads to this thought: Maybe Apple should pay out a big dividend.
