Apple Computer has a favourite candidate to be its next chief executive, although it hasn't made a job offer yet, Oracle Chairman and Chief Executive Mr Lawrence Ellison has said.

"There's absolutely no decision yet," said Mr Ellison, an Apple board member who spoke at the Asia Pacific Information Technology Summit in San Francisco. "We're going to take our time and get the right person for the job."

The money-losing Cupertino, California-based computer maker, which employs 1,500 people in Ireland, has lacked an official leader since former CEO Gilbert Amelio was ousted on July 9th.

Co-founder and interim Chief Executive Steve Jobs returned to the company after Amelio's departure and has been effectively running it since.