Former Apple Employees: 'Thrilled to Be Gone'

With a kinder, gentler, more humane Tim Cook in charge -- simply put, he is, by virtually all accounts, much less of a jerk than Jobs -- you have to wonder if Apple loses that edge. At the same time, Margolis did mention, in another part of our conversation that I did not screenshot, that he "hopes" Cook will change the culture at Apple, but he's too far removed from employment there to have much of a handle on what's happening.

That said, he has more insight than most of us. And I do not think you can ignore tidbits like Margolis threw out in March and over this past weekend via Twitter. They contribute to what happens to be Apple's most pressing issue going forward. Exactly what was that culture Steve Jobs fostered and how much of a role did it play in Apple's success? And can the company's world-beating run continue if Tim Cook messes with that culture or simply cannot or would rather not sustain it?

Follow @RoccoPendola

This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.