SEATTLE _ Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs, the charismatic frontman for the company that overturned the smart phone industry and invented a new category of tablet computers, is taking a second medical leave of absence in two years.

In the last decade, Jobs, 55, has survived a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer and undergone a liver transplant. The news that he will again step down from his day-to-day role raises serious questions about the CEO's health.

But analysts believe the company Jobs shepherded from garage startup to a $65 billion technology trendsetter is in good hands with the current slate of talented executives _ even as Apple, now the Silicon Valley player to beat, faces increasing competition.

Jobs has played the role of industry oracle, seeming to know what consumers want even before they do. He is also known as a demanding and hands-on leader who is involved in even the smallest details of product development. Investors have pinned much of their faith in the company on Jobs himself, sending shares tumbling on every bit of news or rumor of his ailing health.