Apple without Steve Jobs at the helm? The very idea would have been hard to contemplate for much of this decade, as Mr Jobs masterminded a reshaping of large parts of the digital media industry, first with a revived line of Mac computers and the iPod and iTunes digital music business, and more recently through the iPhone. Apple’s breakthroughs, as far as the outside world is concerned, have all been the work of one man.

Yet Apple without Mr Jobs is exactly what Silicon Valley has been forced to contemplate for several months, since the Apple chief executive’s health started to show visible signs of deterioration. After a bout of pancreatic cancer, the signs prompted speculation about a recurrence, or side effects with potentially devastating consequences.