Computers are a necessity in today’s world. We can learn, work from home, and entertain ourselves wherever we go. They are taken for granted by many people today, because they allow us to accomplish tasks quickly. This was not the case in the past because computers weren’t always easy to use, affordable and compact enough to fit into normal spaces. It was only large companies that could afford and use computers because they were complicated and expensive to produce.
These machines were also unattractive because of their size. People didn’t have a place to put them in their house. Steve Jobs is credited with making computers, technology, and other devices more user-friendly and affordable. He also made them small enough to be used as personal devices. Steven Paul Jobs is the biological son of Abdulfattah Jandali & Joanne Schieble. He was born February 22, 1955 in San Francisco. Both were University Wisconsin graduate student at the birth of Steven Paul Jobs. Joanne Schieble had to leave her family because they did not want her to marry a Syrian. Mr. Jandali told reporters that, had it been up to him, he’d have kept his baby. Abdulfattah jandali is also a political science professor, while Joanne Schieble later became Joanne Simpson. Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs adopted Steve Jobs. They adopted another child 3 years later. Adoption was their only option because they were unable have children. Clara Jobs became an accountant, while Paul Jobs began his career in finance. Steve Jobs also had two siblings. Patti Jobs was one of them. Patti Jobs is the sister he adopted from his parents after three years of getting him. Mona Simpson’s step-sister is the biological daughter that his parents had married after becoming professors and speech therapists. Mona Simpson was not known to him until his late 20s when he had successfully found his biological parents. The two met as adults and were able to develop a strong relationship. He learned that she had written the novel “Anywhere But Here”, and also a book about their relationship called “A Regular Guy”. Mr. Jobs went to Homestead High School, Los Altos in California, where he developed a real interest in electronics. He attended Hewlett-Packard’s Palo Alto plant lectures when he studied electronics. Jobs met Steve Wozniak at a high school electronic class. He worked with Wozniak the following summer while working for Hewlett-Packard. Jobs left Reed College after just one semester to pursue other interests. Steve Jobs married Laurene Jobs in Yosemite National Park, on March 18, 1991. They settled in Woodside. During their married life, they had 3 children: Reed, Erin & Eve Jobs. Mr. Jobs had a child named Lisa Brennan Jobs by Chis Ann Brennan, his high-school girlfriend. He claimed to be “sterile” for years and denied having Lisa. Chris Brennan was forced to collect welfare to support her daughter due to financial difficulties. Steve Jobs started his career when he first became interested in electronic devices. He began his career as a Hewlett-Packard summer intern in high-school, working alongside Steve Wozniak. He attended evening lectures at Hewlett-Packard after school.
As a designer of video games, he joined Atari Corporation once he had graduated from high-school and left college after one semester. He worked at Atari till he was able to save enough money for his trip to India. Dan Kottke was his travel companion to India, where he sought spiritual enlightenment. He met Dan while attending Reed College. The same year, he returned to California to complete his spiritual journey.
Steve Wozniak informed Mr. Jobs that HP would not allow him to continue his logic board project. Jobs asked Wozniak to join him in business after HP refused Mr. Wozniak’s logic board design. To start their business, they needed to raise money. So they sold Mr. Jobs’ Volkswagen Minibus and the programmable calculator of Mr. Wozniak. Once they had capital, the Apple I design began. The design phase was completed and they started immediately on the prototype in Steve Jobeses’ garage. The Apple I was the name of the prototype and the company Apple was founded after the prototype had been completed. Apple was named by Mr. Jobs because the name reminded him of his summer job at an orchard. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and their prototype were ready to start selling. A local electronics shop ordered 25 units. In only two months, Apple I was sold to hobbyists and enthusiasts of electronics. The total sales in 1976 were $774,000.
Steve Wozniak introduced the Apple II after a few months, designed for the public and beginners. The device, which came with a keyboard, a power source, and a casing, cost $1300. This computer was the one that made personal computers the norm and brought the company $139,000,000, a 700% increase. Just because the computers were so successful, the company was able to go public in 1980. They sold 46 million shares for $22 each when they went public. Apple’s market value was $1.2 billion at the close of the first stock market day. Apple shares were trading at $29 each. This also valued the 8.3 millions shares Mr. Jobs held at $239 million.
Apple released different computers in the years to come, including the Apple III and LISA III. They also introduced the Apple Macintosh. Apple III is a computer that was designed for companies, due to its affordability and ease of use. The first 14,000 units were recalled due to various problems. During this time, IBM launched their personal computer at the same time Apple recalled the Apple II. This made the business situation even worse.
Jobs was involved in the creation of LISA after the Apple III failed. This device was again aimed at businesses and part of a brand new generation. LISA had many features that would appeal to business users, such as a microprocessor with 32 bits and a video display of super sharpness. LISA was not a success, despite its many advantages. Steve Jobs released the Apple Macintosh in response to the failures both of the Apple III as well as the LISA. The Apple Macintosh had many features, including an easy-to-use interface and the addition of the mouse. The mouse allowed consumers to click and point. Macintosh allowed anyone to operate a computer, because it was easy to set up and there were no commands to learn.
The Macintosh still didn’t get the attention it deserved. The sales in 1982 dropped from $583,000,000 to $458,000,000. This was an increase by 74% compared to 1981. Steve Jobs became angry with the board and the CEO of the company, John Scully, when sales dropped on Apple products. Jobs had to leave because the board made a difficult decision about not giving him any projects. After leaving Apple in 1985, Jobs sold all his stocks and moved on. Steve Jobs sold his Apple shares in 1985 after leaving the company. He then used his $100 million own money to create a new company, NeXT.
NeXTStep, the first operating software developed by NeXT Steve Job’s team was released in 1996. The “object-oriented” programming made it easy to program and use the computer. Jobs even secured a $10 million deal with IBM CEO John Acker to adapt IBM computers to use the NeXTStep Operating System. IBM developed its own operating system, which was regarded as being superior to NeXTStep. Jobs unveiled the first NeXT-computer that ran his own software in 1989. It was equipped with many advanced features, such as an optical-disc-drive, video monitor, even CD-quality music.
In 1993, the cost of hardware was too high, so he decided to focus solely on software development. He closed the high-tech factory and laid off over half the workforce. They were able, after switching to software development, to convince large companies like Hewlett-Packard and Digital Equipment Corp. to include the NeXTStep with their products. The companies that were involved in the development of NeXT helped it become an alternative to Microsoft. NeXT had to change their direction again and begin working on a Microsoft operating system that would use object-oriented programing. In 1995, he made his first profit in nine years. Apple continued its losses as Steve Jobs pursued NeXT.
Apple bought NeXT Inc. in 1995 for over $400 million. Steve Jobs was rehired as an advisor one year later. The company lost money even with Jobs returning as an advisory. Gilbert F. Amelio was fired in 1997. Steve Jobs served as Interim Apple CEO from 1997 to 2000. Steve Jobs became the CEO of Apple once more in 2000.
In 1998, he launched the iMac. The iMac came in a variety of colors, looked a bit different, and was made in one single piece. It had one the fastest processors that were available. The iMac was priced perfectly and the company knew it, because it became the most popular computer in the country by the end the year. Jobs’s profits were good because the iMac was so successful in a year. Throughout his career, he innovated by developing the iBook. The iBook was a sleek laptop with an educational focus. He changed the music listening experience forever in 2001. iTunes is the application he created. It is a computer software that allows you to listen to, download, and buy music. He created the iPod in 2001. iPods are mobile devices that allow you to download music and listen anywhere. They quickly became a leading product in the market. Apple’s iTunes Store was launched in 2003 and it marked a major leap in the music industry.
iTunes Store allows you to download music directly onto your iPod or computer. The iTunes Store has grown so rapidly that it was announced in 2006 that more than a billion songs and video downloads had taken place. Steve Jobs changed Apple Computer Inc.’s name to Apple Inc., January 9, 2007, to emphasize that Apple was no longer just a computer manufacturer. Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in 2007. iPhones can be used to play music and search the web, as well as talk on their phones. In 2010, Apple sold over 90,000,000 iPhones. He announced the iPod Touch even later in that same year. The iPod Touch is a standard iPod with a touchscreen and Wi-Fi access. It also allows you to download games from iTunes Store. Mr. Jobs continues to create amazing products such as the iPad, MacBook and IOS operating systems.
Pancreatic cancer was discovered in 2003 when he first announced the iTunes Store. He waited until 2004 to have the surgery done because he was looking for alternative medicine. When 2004 came around, he underwent “the Whipple operation” in which he removed “parts the pancreas, of the bile-duct, of the gallbladder, of the duodenum.” Following a brief recovery period, he resumed his role as CEO. Unfortunately, his health issues didn’t end after 2004. In 2008, the weight loss was so drastic that people thought he had cancer again.
Stock prices became somewhat linked to his health. The investors were concerned for their money again, so they asked for an in-depth report about his health. Steve Jobs revealed that after investors requested a full health report, he suffered from a hormone imbalance. He was being treated for this and wanted to keep working. After a week, Steve Jobs announced he was taking a medical leave to concentrate on his own health. He had a liver-transplant in Tennessee, where the waiting time was much shorter than other states. Steve Jobs promised to be back in the office by June 30, 2009 and he kept his promise.
Tim Cook, who was then appointed to the position permanently by Cook, took his place after a permanent resignation in August 2011. He served a brief period as the chairman before dying on October 5, 2011 in Palo Alto. He had a net-worth of around $7 billion. Walter Isaacson and the Apple Board of Directors, among others, took to the press to thank Steve Jobs. Apple’s board said that Steve Jobs brilliance, energy, and passion are the reasons for the numerous innovations that have improved and enriched our lives. Walter Isaacson stated Steve Jobs is the greatest business executive our generation, and the one we will remember in a century. He will go down in history alongside Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
