The year in review: Apple loses an icon

Cupertino looks to the future without Steve Jobs

This year saw a number of high-profile executive departures at leading tech vendors, from the inglorious exit of HP's Léo Apotheker to shakeups at IBM and McAfee as companies found themselves looking for a new face for the brand.

No boardroom shakeup, however, could compare to the situation Apple faced in 2011 when Steve Jobs resigned as chief executive and later passed away after complications from pancreatic cancer.

The year started off on a high note for Apple. The company launched an updated MacBook Air, further slimming down the ultra-portable notebook and adding an Intel Core i7 processor.

Among the biggest releases was the iPad 2, which added mobile broadband connectivity along with a faster processor and more storage. As with previous iOS devices, the iPad 2 was an instant hit with consumers, shifting an estimated 500,000 units in its first weekend on the market.

Apple also released the iPhone 4S, sporting an improved camera and processor along with a firmware update which introduced the Siri voice control platform.

The end of summer saw the delivery of Mac OS X Lion, the first full update to the platform in two years, offering support for the multi-touch gestures seen on the iOS interface.

Apple also turned out a string of record quarters in what was its strongest financial year to date. Along with solid iPad and iPhone sales, Apple's Macintosh computer line saw some of its best numbers ever.

All of these accomplishments, however, were overshadowed by the departure of Steve Jobs. His resignation and untimely death at the age of 56 left Apple without the leadership of its iconic co-founder for the first time in more than a decade.

Jobs' health problems had been no secret. The Apple boss took his second stretch of medical leave in January, and formally announced in August his decision to retire from the company he helped establish in 1976.

The year in review: Apple loses an icon

Cupertino looks to the future without Steve Jobs

The entire industry, however, was rocked to its very foundation when news broke on the evening of 6 October that Steve Jobs had finally succumbed to the health troubles he had been battling for years.

An outpouring of support was delivered by other technology firms and the general public. Prominent executives offered their condolences, and Apple fans around the world turned the company's retail outlets into makeshift shrines, placing flowers and letters of thanks in storefronts.

Former chief operating officer Tim Cook is now charged with moving Apple forward, having taken the reins during Jobs' medical leaves.

Joining Cook are two of Jobs' most highly regarded executives, designer Jonathan Ive and marketing boss Phil Schiller, who have taken on more prominent roles within the company.

Among the first challenges is a messy legal battle with makers of Android handsets. HTC and Motorola have been in Apple's crosshairs, but the company's biggest target by far has been Samsung.

Apple filed multiple suits against Samsung for patent breaches, and allegations of intellectual property infringement led courts in the EU to temporarily issue an import ban on the Samsung Galaxy tablet. More recently, Samsung has altered the design of its tablet to work around Apple's claims.

The legal action is one of many challenges facing Apple in 2012, which the company will have to face without its founder and patriarch.

The biggest question is whether Steve Jobs' meticulous management style created a company that was entirely dependant on him for direction, or whether he carefully nurtured talented individuals who can continue to churn out hit products well after his departure.

The answer to that question will determine Apple's prospects in 2012 and beyond.