The next time you pick up your iPhone or turn on your MacBook, consider the innovative thinking and collaboration that made the creation of these powerful devices possible. The most well known of this group was Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apple. Although he passed away in October of 2011, he has left behind a legacy that is still inspiring professionals in the tech industry to this day.
Apple Inc.
Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Inc. in 1976, together with his friends and co-workers Mike Markkula and Steve Wozniak. The first product they released was the Apple computer, alternately known as the Apple I. Although the Apple I was independently hand-built by Steve Wozniak, they collaborated to create the Apple II computer series. This was the first line of highly commercially successful personal computers. Next came the Apple Lisa, which was the first PC equipped with a mouse for navigation. After the Macintosh was released in 1984, the sky was the limit for Jobs.
Other Companies
In 1985, Steve Jobs left Apple Inc. over what appears to have been disagreements over the direction the company was heading in. He then established the tech company known as NeXT later in that same year. Jobs also established the animation company Pixar in 1986. Pixar would go on to become one of the most inventive and successful animation companies in history. In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple Inc. as a temporary CEO when Gil Amelio was fired as CEO.
The NeXT computer and software company Jobs was formerly CEO of was then acquired by Apple for the amount of $429 million. Jobs received 1.5 million Apple shares and remained with Apple Inc. while holding on to his interim CEO position until 2000. He became the permanent CEO of Apple Inc. afterward and kept his position until he resigned in 2011.
Death and Legacy
Unfortunately, Jobs died of pancreatic cancer just a few weeks after announcing he was stepping down as CEO of Apple Inc. However, he didn’t leave us until he had created the iPad back in 2010. Since then, various copycat versions of the same technology have been produced by different companies. The tech world continues to build on the gadgets and platforms Jobs created while he was still alive. His influence has challenged developers and engineers to create more stimulating platforms and ingenious devices.