People at Apple still work under a lot of pressure and stress. But by all accounts, Tim Cook is a pretty nice guy (a description not often associated with his predecessor). According to this Reuters piece: “Some worry that Cook’s changes to the culture have doused the fire — and perhaps the fear — that drove employees to try to achieve the impossible.” The article goes on to suggest that many Apple employees are leaving the company. Tim Cook knows that comparisons to Steve Jobs are inevitable (especially when the stock price goes down). But it will be interesting to see if a nice guy can finish first.

+ John Gruber asks a fair question: So engineers are leaving in droves because Apple is a nicer place to work now?

+ Of course, the effectiveness of Tim Cook’s tenure as the lead man at Apple will depend a lot more on the company’s new products than his demeanor. And in some cases, the quality (or even existence) of those products will depend on his ability to negotiate and close really big deals. That’s especially true in the much hyped and rumored world of Apple TV.

+ And as of today, the state of Apple’s stock price (along with many other companies) is being affected by another key factor: The Nasdaq is down. The whole Nasdaq. Down as in not functioning.