Thursday, October 6, 2011

Apple : Obituary: Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Apple : Obituary: Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Obituary: Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

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Obituary: Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Obituary: Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Steve Jobs, the charismatic chairman and co-founder of Apple, has died. He was 56.

Jobs, who president Barack Obama described as "a visionary", had an extraordinary influence on the world of technology and entertainment: Apple ignited the personal computer revolution, popularised the graphical user interface, reinvented the PC, and invented the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Jobs also co-founded and was CEO of Pixar Animation Studios and served on Disney's board of directors.

Sowing Apple's seeds

Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955, the son of students Abdulfattah Jandali and Joanne Schieble. As his parents were unmarried, Jobs was put up for adoption. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, who named him Steven Paul, and when Jobs was very young the family moved to Santa Clara County in California.

While still in high school, Jobs attended lectures by the Hewlett-Packard Company. Jobs would spend a summer working for the firm, where he met his future colleague Stephen Wozniak.

After he graduated from Homestead High School, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but he dropped out after one semester. Jobs continued to attend classes at the school, however, and credits a calligraphy class as the root of his interest in typography - an interest that would inspire the Macintosh's fonts many years later.

Jobs returned to California in 1974, where he attended the Homebrew Computer Club with Steve Wozniak. Jobs took a job as a technician at Atari, using his wages to fund a trip to India from which he returned a Buddhist, and during this period Jobs also experimented with psychedelic drugs.

Jobs described his psychedelic experiences as "one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life". Jobs' countercultural background was a crucial part of his personality: he would later describe Apple as standing "at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts."

Jobs wasn't particularly technical, but he had a keen business sense - and that means he was quick to spot the potential of the personal computer, and of Steve Wozniak's engineering abilities. Apple was founded in Jobs' parents' garage, and 1977's Apple II was a runaway success. By 1980 Steve Jobs was worth $165 million.

Making the Mac

In the late 1970s personal computers, including Apple's, required users to type commands to make anything happen - but Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, PARC, had a better idea.

Its graphical user interface used a mouse to control an on-screen pointer, which users could then use to click on little pictures, or icons. Many technology executives visited PARC and saw the technology, but only Jobs saw its potential.

Jobs masterminded the Apple Lisa, a powerful but expensive machine that Apple refined and called the Macintosh. The Macintosh, or Mac, was launched in 1984 and became the first successful personal computer with a graphical user interface.

Apple's success was bittersweet for Jobs: it was great for his ego but introduced big-company problems including bitter in-fighting and power struggles. By September 1985 Jobs had had enough, and resigned from Apple to create a new company. He ended up involved with two: a new computer company called NeXT, and Lucasfilm's ailing computer animation studio Pixar, which Jobs bought.

Both firms were hardware companies - Pixar made the Pixar Image Computer, a high-end graphics system - but Jobs refocused the firms to concentrate on software (NeXT) and animation (Pixar). The latter was so successful that Jobs sold Pixar to Disney in 2006 for $7.4 billion. NeXT's software, meanwhile, would play a crucial part in Apple's future - and it would bring Jobs back to the firm he founded.

Bringing it all back home

Apple foundered without Jobs, embarking on ill-fated ventures including licensing Apple's operating system to third-party manufacturers. The beleaguered firm acquired NeXT in 1996 and hired Jobs as an adviser. CEO Gil Amelio left Apple the following July, and Jobs became Interim CEO.

Jobs brought focus to the company, shuttering the licensing programme, closing multiple projects, migrating Macs from the classic Mac OS to a new, NeXT-based platform and promoting designer Jonathan Ive to Senior Vice President of Industrial Design.

In Ive, Jobs found the Paul McCartney to his John Lennon: a prodigiously talented designer who shared his vision and obsession with detail. Together they would create the candy-coloured iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad, not to mention some of the world's most impressive and beautiful desktop and portable computers.

Apple's products were runaway successes and often imitated, but they were rarely bettered - partly because Jobs also recognised the importance of the ecosystem surrounding a product.

iPods needed music and later, video, so Apple created the iTunes Store to sell music and video; it's currently the largest music retailer in the world. The iPhone enabled developers to create apps, small downloadable programs, so Apple created an App Store to deliver apps, provide quality control and pay developers. The App Store is currently the world's largest.

The combination of innovative hardware, exceptional design and supporting Stores and services has led to an extraordinary turnaround for Apple: under Jobs' watch, a firm that seemed doomed in the 1980s has become the most valuable technology company in the world.

One more thing

Jobs wasn't just a visionary: he was a showman too, famed for his superb presentation skills and the "reality distortion field" where his personal charisma made even the dullest product sound life-changing.

Jobs' keynote speeches were more like rock concerts than product announcements, generating headlines that other technology firms could only dream of.

The reality distortion field wasn't the only criticism of Jobs, however. Some saw him as arrogant, and in 2010 Forbes Magazine listed Jobs in both its "America's best bosses" list and its "bully boss hall of fame".

Jobs' temper was legendary, and as CNN reported in 2008, "he parks his Mercedes in handicapped spaces, periodically reduces subordinates to tears, and fires employees in angry tantrums. Yet many of top deputies at Apple have worked with him for years, and even some of those who have departed say that although it's often brutal and Jobs hogs the credit, they've never done better work."

Jobs' health

In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis he wouldn't announce publicly until he wrote to Apple staff in early 2004. Jobs initially resisted the idea of surgery, preferring instead to try a special diet, but in July 2004 he relented.

The surgery was successful, and in 2005 Jobs delivered a commencement speech at Stanford University where he explained how his cancer diagnosis had affected his worldview. "Have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition," he said. "They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Despite frequent denials from Apple, speculation over Jobs' health continued, peaking in 2008 with Jobs' gaunt appearance at the Worldwide Developers' Conference and Bloomberg's accidental publication of a pre-written obituary.

That September, Jobs took to the stage in front of Mark Twain's quote "rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated". However, in January 2009 Jobs wrote once again to Apple staff, explaining that he would be taking a six-month leave of absence as "my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought."

Jobs had a liver transplant in April 2009, but in January 2011 Apple once again announced that Jobs would be taking a medical leave of absence. Jobs continued to work at Apple and appear at Apple events, but in August 2011 he formally resigned from the company.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," he wrote. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

Steve Jobs died on 5 October 2011. He is survived by his wife, Laurene, and his four children.

Opinion: Steve Jobs: 'insanely great'

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Opinion: Steve Jobs: 'insanely great'

I've just found out about Steve Jobs passing away and I'm stunned. I wouldn't say I was totally surprised – after all, Jobs had been suffering from ill health for some time, but it's still a shock.

It's almost unbelievable that it's so soon after he stepped down from being CEO.

Jobs decided to relinquish his role of CEO in August after first being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. He had been the recipient of a liver transplant in 2009 and is survived by his wife and four children. He died peacefully surrounded by them.

Various TV news channels seem concerned with whether Apple will continue on the same tack. It will, of course, and although the shadow left by its former CEO will loom large, Apple's future seems assured.

Here, I think we should focus on what Jobs gave us. And for that, there's one voice more qualified than the others. Bill Gates.

Gates and Jobs on stage at the All Things Digital conference in 2007 is one of my all time favourite moments in tech. Two giants of technology, two different but sometimes similar paths. But still a shared appreciation of each other's strengths and what each had brought to the industry.

"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honour," said Gates. "Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives,"

"I'm truly saddened to learn of [Steve's] death," he said. "Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work."

Jobs founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and released the world's first so-called PC, the Apple II.

He was a perfectionist and kept to his ideals – he didn't want Apple products on the market if he didn't believe in them. He didn't bow to commercial pressures.

He wasn't on his own though; as my colleague Patrick Goss says, Sony founder Akio Morita was "renowned as a man with a spark of genius and the capacity to change his company's direction if he thought it appropriate." This guy went against the recommendation of his engineers to put the Walkman on the market.

Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech was, according to our writer Gary Marshall, "typically Jobsian, smart, funny and serious".

"Have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition," Jobs said, explaining how his cancer diagnosis had affected his world view. "They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

I think that, in time, Jobs will be remembered as the guy who invigorated the mobile phone market with the iPhone - he certainly gave its competitors something to think about. We wouldn't have Windows Phone 7 without the iPhone. Would we have Android? It's doubtful.

Apple certainly also reinvented the MP3 player market with the iPod in 2001, but because of the explosion of the phone as an entertainment device, that may be left as a footnote.

What cannot be in dispute is that he returned to Apple in 1997 after the acquisition of NeXT - when it was virtually bankrupt - and completely reinvented the company.

Over the last decade-and-a-half, Jobs' stewardship has seen Apple produce one of the most stunning comebacks in business history, culminating with overtaking Exxon Mobil as the world's most valuable company in August.

As Gary Marshall said then, it was the beginning of one of the most incredible chapters the technology industry's ever seen. "On his first day back... he asked executives to tell him what was wrong with the stricken Apple. After some mumbled replies, he jumped in: 'It's the products!'"

And it was the products he reinvented. The original iMac was first, followed by the iPod in 2001. But it was in January 2007 he really made us rock with the original iPhone announcement. I remember being at CES in Las Vegas when the Macworld press conference was ongoing.Suddenly everything else seemed like dust.

That was an incredible moment. I can't describe how different it felt from everything that had gone before. It made me sit back from my laptop and simply think: everything has changed.

It showed that Jobs cared about what products looked like. He cared about how people used them. He was a brilliant guy and his legacy will be felt, as Gates says, for "generations to come."

Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO, born February 24, 1955, died October 5, 2011

Steve Jobs dies: Apple CEO Tim Cook's email to employees

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Steve Jobs dies: Apple CEO Tim Cook's email to employees

Apple CEO Tim Cook emailed Apple employees on Wednesday to inform them that company co-founder and iconic leader Steve Jobs had passed away.

Cook, who was handed the reins of the company by Jobs when he stepped down in August, says the company is planning a celebration of his life.

The new CEO who was hired by Steve Jobs in 1998, shortly after Jobs' return to the company had previously served as chief operating officer.

Cook paid tribute to his mentor as an 'amazing human being' and told employees that his spirit will forever live on at Apple.

'Honour his memory'

The email in full is below:

"Team,

"I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

"We are planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

"No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim."

We'll continue to bring you tributes that flood in from the tech world following this sad news.

Bill Gates leads tributes to Steve Jobs

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Bill Gates leads tributes to Steve Jobs

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has released a statement paying tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died on Wednesday.

The former head of Microsoft said he was "truly saddened" to hear of Jobs' passing and saluted the "profound impact" he had on the world.

"I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death," said a statement released through his spokesperson.

"Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.

"Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

"The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come."

"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Storied rivalry

Microsoft and Apple have, of course, had a storied rivalry lasting over 30 years.

Jobs and Gates had locked horns while the rival Macintosh and Windows platforms went head-to-head throughout the 80s and 90s, and right up until Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO in 2008.

Microsoft's co-founder Paul Allen also released a statement calling Jobs a "unique pioneer and auteur."

Allen said: "My condolences to Steve Jobs' family and friends. We've lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn't help but be encouraged by how he persevered."

Barack Obama, Disney thank Jobs

US President Barrack Obama tweeted: "Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. From all of us at #Obama2012, thank you for the work you make possible every day—including ours."

Also among those paying tribute was Bob Igner, president and CEO of Disney, where Jobs was on the board.

"Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor, he said. "His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined."

Schmidt: 'One of the greatest'

"Steve Jobs is the most successful CEO in the U.S. of the last 25 years," says Google's executive chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt.

"He uniquely combined an artists touch and an engineers vision to build an extraordinary company. One of the greatest American leaders in history."

Author Neil Gaiman tweeted: "Thank you Steve Jobs. You left the world better, and more interesting, than you found it."

Rupert Murdoch, CEO of Newscorp said: "Today, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation.

"While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I'm reminded of the stunning impact he had in revolutionizing the way people consume media and entertainment. My heart goes out to his family and to everyone who had the opportunity to work beside him in bringing his many visions to life."

Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc said: "Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come."

Larry Page, CEO of Google: "He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me."

Director Steven Spielberg said:"Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips."

Bestselling author and occasional TechRadar columnist Michael Marshall Smith blogged: "Jobs was sometimes exasperatedly accused of operating a 'reality distortion field', but the fact is that yes, he really did change our realities. Apple – and Steve Jobs in particular – turned the computer into something we want at the core of our lives, rather than merely tolerate there. That's the step from the past into the future. Jobs was the guy who got us here.

"The near future seems a lot less bright tonight. It doesn't seem as easy to believe that something new and insanely great will always be just around the corner."

Steve Jobs dies, aged 56

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Steve Jobs dies, aged 56

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56, the company has said.

The visionary leader behind the Macintosh, iPod and iPhone was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Jobs stepped down from his role as CEO on August 24th this year following a long hiatus. He had vowed to continue working with the company as chairman of the board.

A statement on the company website says: "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Family statement

In a separate statement, his family added: "Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief"

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