48% Think Apple Will Remain on Cutting Edge Despite Jobs’ Death

Most Americans hold a favorable opinion of Steve Jobs, Apple Computer’s co-founder and CEO who died last week, and nearly half think his company will remain a technological leader despite his passing.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 74% of American Adults hold at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Jobs, including 45% who share a Very Favorable one. Just nine percent (9%) view him somewhat or very unfavorably, with 16% more who are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

That’s up from 48% who held a favorable opinion of the Apple guru in January 2009 when health issues forced him to take a medical leave of absence.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Americans say they or a member of their family now owns an Apple product such as an iPod, iPad or Mac computer. Among these adults, 84% view Jobs favorably, including 55% with a Very Favorable opinion.

Forty-eight percent (48%) of all Americans think despite Jobs’ death, Apple will remain a leading technology innovator. Only 28% believe the company will become just another big business. Twenty-four percent (24%) are not sure. That’s more confidence than adults expressed in the January 2009 survey when 41% said Apple would be okay if Jobs did not return; 14% thought the company was in trouble, and 44% weren’t sure.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of investors think Apple will keep going strong, compared to 40% of non-investors.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 7-8, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.