Tim Cook's first 100 days as Apple CEO

World leaders are often measured by what they do in their first 100 days in office. Nevertheless what about business leaders?

As of Friday, it has been 100 days since Apple co-founder and longtime CEO Steve Jobs passed the company torch to Tim Cook.

Since that first day, August 24, Wall Street and legions of Apple fans have had their gazes fixed on Cook. As the man heading arguably the most influential and valuable research company in the world, Cook wields a great deal of power.

After Cook took over, Jobs held the role of executive chairman nevertheless lost his long battle with cancer some six weeks later, on October 5. The day previously Jobs died, Cook led a news conference to announce the iPhone 4S.

Even without Jobs' dramatic stage presence, the iPhone 4S became the fastest-selling phone over its launch weekend, selling 4 million units worldwide. Financial analysts worried that the aging glass-and-steel design would stunt sales, however the faster processor, better camera and Siri voice assistant -- plus the addition of a third major carrier, Sprint Nextel -- helped the smartphone maintain momentum.

Siri, which Apple describes as beta software, has experienced occasional outages since its October launch, nevertheless iCloud has fared much better than Apple's previous endeavors into Internet services. About 20 million people activated their free iCloud accounts in its first week, Apple said. ITunes Match, a $25-a-year music synchronization service, was delayed by a few days yet has received positive reviews.

Jobs recruited Cook from Compaq Computer in 1998 to run Apple's operations. People who have worked with Cook at Apple describe him as quiet and confident, the peacekeeper at the conference room table. He'd entrust a roomful of Apple employees with company secrets and expect trust in exchange, according to Michael Grothaus, a former consultant for the company.

Jobs was hands-on in product development and had a knack for identifying which markets were ripe for invasion. Walter Isaacson's new "Steve Jobs" biography reveals that digital textbooks and Internet-enabled TV sets were among Jobs' straightway areas of focus for Apple. In the book, Jobs said Cook is "not a product person."

Strong bench of executives that Jobs recruited

He will be able to lean on a "strong bench" of executives that Jobs recruited and that Cook has long worked with, said Jackson, the analyst. "It's going to be business as usual for Apple in Steve's absence," he said.

To give Cook a strong financial incentive to stay, Apple's board of directors granted him a million shares of restricted stock. The first half will be made available to him five years from when Cook officially became CEO, and the rest will vest five years afterwards that, as long as he stays.

Cook had promised in a recent e-mail to his staff that Apple wouldn't change in accordance with his leadership, however he introduced for the moment one corporate program that would have been out of character for Jobs. In September, Apple began matching employees' charitable contributions up to $10,000. Jobs was not much of a philanthropist.

Better place

"Steve made our world a better place," Cook said at the Apple memorial for Jobs. "He left his fingerprints all over society, all over the world. He as well leaves behind a company that only he could have built and a spirit that will be the foundation for this company forever."

Cook has instilled confidence in investors while his brief stints as CEO. In the last 100 days, Apple stock has gone up 4.3%. Now, he will need to continue to build on Jobs' steady foundation.