And analysts yesterday were nearly unanimous that Apple is in great shape for the next two or three years -- or even longer -- simply because of the product road map that Jobs laid out before Wednesday.

Cappelli tacitly acknowledged the value of Jobs' remaining active with Apple. "The trick for them going forward is to persuade customers that they have enough of the Jobs' fairy dust even if he's not physically in the role of CEO," said Cappelli.

Michael Robinson, a senior vice president at Levick Strategic Communications, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm, pointed to other pitfalls in the transition to a new CEO.

"This is a change without parallel in business," Robinson argued, citing Jobs' reputation as the personality that drove Apple. "What Apple wants to avoid here is any sense of confusion or panic at the change. They need to avoid any perception that this wasn't something that was not long planned. They want to make this seem like a plan in a box."

Apple can do that by keeping to its schedule and keeping quiet, something the company is notoriously good at doing.