Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and inventor who co-founded Apple Inc. and played a central role in the development of the personal computer, the smartphone, and the digital music player. He was known for his insistence on design and for his ability to combine technology with the arts.

Early Life

Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco and was adopted at birth. He grew up in the area that later became Silicon Valley and developed an early interest in electronics.

He attended Reed College for a time and then travelled in India. He returned to California and worked for Atari, the video game company.

He and his friend Steve Wozniak built and sold a series of computers, and they founded Apple Computer in 1976 in the family garage.

The Founding of Apple

The Apple I was a kit for hobbyists, and it was followed by the Apple II, which was one of the first successful mass-market personal computers. The company grew rapidly.

Jobs imposed his vision of an integrated system in which hardware and software were designed together. He insisted on the importance of the user interface.

He was forced out of the company in 1985 after a power struggle with the chief executive. He then founded NeXT, a computer company, and acquired the graphics division of Lucasfilm, which became Pixar.

The Return and the Transformation

Apple acquired NeXT in 1996, and Jobs returned to the company. He became chief executive and led a dramatic turnaround.

He introduced the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad, and he created the iTunes Store. The products transformed the markets for music, for telephony, and for computing.

He was known for his product launches, which became media events. His presentations combined showmanship with a clear account of the design of the products.

Illness and Death

Jobs was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and underwent treatment. He took leaves of absence and eventually resigned as chief executive in 2011.

He died in October 2011 at the age of fifty-six. His death was widely mourned, and Apple became the most valuable company in the world.

He was married to Laurene Powell and had four children. He was also the biological father of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, with whom he later reconciled.

Legacy

Jobs is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of technology and of business. He combined an understanding of design with a talent for marketing.

He is credited with the creation of products that changed daily life for millions of people. His approach to innovation has been studied and imitated.

His management style was demanding and sometimes harsh, and his legacy is debated. He remains a central figure in the culture of Silicon Valley.

Pixar and NeXT

After leaving Apple, Jobs founded NeXT Computer, which produced a sophisticated workstation for higher education. The hardware was expensive, and the company later concentrated on software.

He acquired the computer graphics group of Lucasfilm and developed it as Pixar. The studio produced the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, in 1995.

Pixar was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2006, and Jobs became the largest individual shareholder of Disney. The success of Pixar restored his reputation in the technology and entertainment industries.

Design and Marketing

Jobs insisted on the integration of hardware and software and on the simplicity of the user interface. He was involved in every detail of the design of the products.

His product launches were carefully staged and became events of the technology calendar. The Macworld keynote of 2007 introduced the iPhone and became one of the most watched presentations of its kind.

He was known for his reality distortion field, the ability to persuade his colleagues and his audiences of the feasibility of his vision. The phrase was coined by his colleagues.

The Products

The iMac, introduced in 1998, revived the fortunes of Apple and established a distinctive design language. The iPod and the iTunes Store transformed the music industry.

The iPhone, introduced in 2007, combined a telephone, a music player, and an internet device. The iPad, introduced in 2010, created the market for tablet computers.

The App Store, opened in 2008, created a new platform for software distribution and enabled a new economy of mobile applications. The products made Apple one of the most valuable company in the world.

Management and Personality

Jobs was known for his demanding standards and for his harsh treatment of colleagues. He was described as both inspiring and difficult.

He was a perfectionist and insisted on the highest quality in design and in engineering. He was also known for his intuition and for his willingness to take risks.

He was interested in Zen Buddhism and in the ideas of the counterculture. He was a vegetarian and practised fasting, and he sought to combine technology with the values of the 1960s.

Legacy

Jobs is regarded as the most influential business leader of his generation. He transformed the industries of computing, music, telephony, and publishing.

His approach to innovation combined a clear vision with a relentless attention to detail. His practices have been studied and imitated.

He was married to Laurene Powell and had four children. His life has been the subject of books, films, and exhibitions.

See also

• Apple Inc.
• Personal computer