Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco to Joanne Schieble and Abdulfattah Jandali, and was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. He grew up in Silicon Valley, which influenced his interest in electronics. He attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but dropped out after one semester, though he continued auditing classes, including a calligraphy course that later influenced Apple's typography.¹

In 1976, Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer in Jobs's garage. Their first product, the Apple I, was a bare circuit board. The Apple II, released in 1977, was one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputers, featuring a color display and an integrated keyboard.²

Jobs led the development of the Macintosh, launched in 1984, which introduced the graphical user interface to the mass market. However, after a power struggle with then-CEO John Sculley, Jobs resigned from Apple in 1985. He then founded NeXT, a computer company that developed high-end workstations and the NeXTSTEP operating system.¹

In 1986, Jobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, which became Pixar Animation Studios. Under his leadership, Pixar produced the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story (1995), and went on to create a series of successful films. In 2006, Disney acquired Pixar, making Jobs the largest individual shareholder of Disney and a member of its board.³

Apple acquired NeXT in 1997, bringing Jobs back to the company as interim CEO. He revitalized Apple with the iMac, and later introduced the iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), and iPad (2010), transforming the music, phone, and tablet industries. He also oversaw the creation of the iTunes Store and the App Store, which changed digital media distribution.⁴

Beyond his public persona, Jobs had lesser-known facets: he was a Buddhist, having traveled to India in the 1970s; he was a pescatarian; he never graduated from college; he was a co-founder of the electronic music hardware company, though that is often overlooked; he was known for his harsh management style, but also for his ability to inspire; he was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2003, which he initially treated with alternative medicine before surgery; he was a father of four, and his daughter Lisa was the namesake of the Apple Lisa computer; he was also a fan of the Beatles and the Grateful Dead.⁵

Jobs's impact extends beyond products: he influenced design philosophy, retail (Apple Stores), and corporate storytelling. His Stanford commencement speech in 2005 is one of the most viewed commencement addresses. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.

Apple Inc.

American multinational technology company that designs and markets consumer electronics, software, and services.

Pixar

American computer animation film studio known for films like Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

NeXT

Computer company founded by Steve Jobs in 1985, known for its workstations and operating system.

Graphical user interface (GUI)

A user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators.