P.M. BRIEFING : Gasee to Quit Apple, Paper Says

Apple Computer’s chief product developer, who had served as the company’s visionary since the departure of founder Steven Jobs, is planning to resign, it was reported today.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Jean-Louis Gasee, 46, who has headed Apple Computer Inc.’s new products development for the last five years, will leave the company within the next few weeks.

Apple representatives would not comment.

The paper said John Sculley, Apple’s chief executive officer, had pressured Gasee to accept a demotion. Just last week, Allan Z. Loren, who had headed Apple’s domestic sales division, was forced out of the company, which has suffered from slow growth for a year.

Analysts said Gasee’s resignation could be welcome news for the industry’s second-largest personal computer maker.

“They’ve got to make a change. It’s painful, but it’s got to be done,” said Paul Gillen, executive editor of Computerworld, an industry news weekly. “In the long term it’s going to be positive because what Apple needs is a shake-up.”