Aaron Swartz' response[1] is quite interesting.

> If Apple is to continue, it will be with a tastemaker at the top. And there are no serious candidates besides Ive.

(He remarks on Twitter[2] to Gruber, "I think we had this debate briefly over email many years ago, but nice to revive it in long form in public".)

[1] http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/howappleworks [2] https://twitter.com/#!/aaronsw/status/94550094199783425