Oh man! I really hope Apple or Tim Cook reads this post :D
You have perfectly laid out some of my own concerns about the company recently. You are right in mentioning that Steve Jobs WAS Apple.
His absence is being greatly felt in everything they are doing now. For me personally, the design is still very good. The one MAJOR thing to change is their product strategy. They are doing too much! Just like before Steve's return to Apple. So many iPads, Macbooks, iMacs, and now it is rumoured that there will be 3 iPhones this year. Remember when it was just ONE iPhone?
I really hope they get their act together. Awesome post man :)
Very good point and I hadn't considered that! You are right, the simplicity has gone. Again I think this goes back to the shift to being just a regular technology company.