Call it a reality distortion field, a cult of personality or simply good presentation skills, but I think the real issue here is that Steve Jobs made things work in a much more subtle way than many people realize.

As Matt Thomas very cleverly illustrates, the three key things that Jolie O’Dell calls out in her article as being a departure from Apple’s previous style have all been done by Apple before.

The point is, however, they were done by Steve Jobs, rather than Tim Cook. Now, some may argue that this is simply a question of Jobsian Fanboyism; that somehow those who worshipped at the altar of Jobs were willing to give Apple a pass for such things.

However, were that the case, we would have heard these same criticisms from those outside the conclave. We didn’t. Somehow, when it was Steve Jobs standing on stage in front of terms like “Thinnovation” and a tie-dyed Apple logo, we bought it. In a sense, it “just worked.” :)

There was always a certain “je ne sais quoi” about Steve. It went beyond his merely being a visionary into his ability to somehow convey a contagious enthusiasm for his vision. In every presentation he ever gave, Steve Jobs took us along on a magic carpet ride through a plethora of amazing possibilities that came with each new Apple product. This was what many Apple critics referred to as the Reality Distortion Field, but the fact is that while Steve Jobs’ charisma and ability to convey his vision is rare, it is by no means unique in history.

Tim Cook is a great man, but perhaps the real takeaway from this is not that Apple’s brand is unravelling, but rather that the new dynasty of Apple leadership still needs to find its own path and style that works without the magic of the very powerful Steve Jobs personality standing on stage.