Apple's ICloud, which lets customers access pictures, music and other information across a broad range of its devices, will be released on Oct. 12. The service was first showcased at Jobs's last public appearance, Apple's developer conference in June.

When Apple needs to introduce entirely new products, Jobs's vision may be missed -- if the company introduces a TV, for example, Piper Jaffray's Munster said.

Jobs was critical in hiring and pushing the company into new areas, Abramsky said. He was vital in negotiations with media companies for securing content such as music and movies that are sold through iTunes.

"There's a certain unknown about how Apple will be different," Abramsky said.

Eoin Treacy's view Genius is an indefinable quality and Steve Jobs certainly had it. His innovative products changed how we lead our lives and created incredible value for Apple's shareholders. Silicon Valley remains the world's most successful seedbed for technological innovation but one wonders whether Apple will remain a design pioneer without Steve Jobs' invaluable contribution.

The share remains in a consistent uptrend. It found support in the region of the 200-day MA and $350 yesterday. A sustained move below $320 would be required to trigger an MDL stop and question the broad consistency of the 30-month advance.

Apple has a sizeable cash balance and doesn't pay a dividend. This was not an issue as the share progressed from under $100 in 2009 to the current $375 area because the flow of new products and income streams put the company on a solid growth trajectory. Apple is still performing like a growth company. Announcing a dividend policy now would likely be construed as acknowledging defeat in the design stakes so we should not expect one any time soon. Microsoft paid its first dividend in 2003 when it had more than halved from its late 1999 peak.

Apple remains an absolute and relative strength leader. Its uptrend remains consistent and it has not accelerated in the way Microsoft did in 1999. However the success of new products is more important than ever.