King of the Apple empire – Steve Jobs

As news of the resignation of the Steve Jobs spread like wildfire on Wednesday night, millions of people across the globe took out their macbooks, their iPhones, their iPads to share the sad news with millions of other people across the globe. Such has been the power of an idea, enough to change the course of history, imprinting millions of people with that one brand, with that idea, with that identity, with that phenomenon, the phenomenon that could be called the Apple invasion.
Interestingly just a few years ago, before the advent of the iPhone or the iPod, we still had mp3 players, we still had personal computers and laptops, we had it all but somehow, reminiscing at old times makes me feel, that life without the innovation of apple, life without an iPod, life without an iPhone would effectively be a life devoid of colour. It would be like imagining our childhood days without cartoon network, or somehow having grown up without playing pacman.
‘i-Quit’ was one cheeky headline I came across while melancholically googling about Steve Jobs. The bond that has developed between Steve Jobs and the millions of apple users across the globe is somewhat akin to that of a bond between a child and his godfather, or in this case, between apple users and their ‘technological godfather’. The use of the term ‘i-Quit’ speaks volumes of the technological wiz’s stamp on pop culture lexicon and the IT world alike.
Apple has been doing relatively well in the last few years, and ‘relatively well’ for Apples recent successes too is a gross understatement. But it can be ascertained that while the company is very lucidly on solid footing for now at least, with a seemingly endless streak of innovation in consumer technology, with many products in the pipeline as successor Tim Cook takes charge, millions across the globe will find it a little hard to imagine the company without its black-turtleneck-and-jeans clad founder and visionary Steve Jobs. A man who clearly was more passionate about the company and its success than many of us are about our first wife. While talking to the New York Times magazine about his return to Apple following his forced resignation, Jobs said, “It was like the first adult love of your life; something that is always special to you no matter how it turns out.”
In 1975 Jobs and his friend Wozniak started work on the personal computer in Jobs’ garage and by the year 1976 they offered these models for sale. That’s when Jobs co-founded Apple and with his partner released the Apple II in the year 1977. Despite his pivotal role in the establishment of the company and setting up a base, a worldwide slump in the sales of apple and his worsening relationship with the then CEO forced him out of the company in the year 1985.
When Jobs returned to the company in the year 1996, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. However, he stood proudly on the stage of World Wide Developers conference that year and announced that he will bring back Apple from the dead.
The first goal Jobs set to pursue was to create products that redefine standards in design and features. Therefore while mp3 players were considered to be an alternative way to listen to music, iPod ensured that this technology became the best way to listen to music. Following the iPod, the iPhone redefined touch screen technology in world markets and the iPad somehow conjured up a tablet market like a magician pulling out a rabbit from his hat.
The revolutionary success of the Apple empire made others trail far behind apple products panting desperately to catch up. Not only were apple products technologically superior, but Jobs somehow breathed personality into each and every product. The result was that Apple’s worth increased by a phenomenal $300b under Jobs in the last 10 years. When Jobs asked CEO Pepsi-Cola John Sculley to work for Apple, the latter did not see any benefit in leaving. However, Jobs completely challenged his perception by asking just one simple question. “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?”
And Steve Jobs truly changed the world leaving behind a bittersweet legacy of technological innovation.

The writer is Sub Editor, Profit