10 Products that Define Apple's Steve Jobs

As Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs resigns, 10 products that define this technological visionary extraordinaire are easily identified.

Steve Jobs quits as Apple CEO. (The Sydney Morning Herald, August 25, 2011, 12:21om.) The technological visionary and industry legend takes a bow from Apple.  He has been on medical leave since January 17.  Tim Cook, Apple COO, has been slated as Jobs' successor. However, Jobs will remain at Apple as chairman of the company's board.

As early as the mid-1970s, Steve Jobs has been the icon of the personal computers, with the advent of the Apple I in 1976, and the enhanced Apple II-e.  Whilst Apple II is apparently ancient compared to the latest Apple innovations now and most likely lives in the memory of those familiar with II-e and the early Macintosh, the design was amazing by the standards of those past years. It was also during that time (1981), that IBM launched its personal computer (PC). But it was with the Apple Computers in 1976 that Steve Jobs, (along with another Steve, Steve Wozniak), created the "personal" computer.

Today, Steve Jobs is best known as the leader behind the iPod, iPad, iPhone, and other iMac products. However, those who are familiar with him and his innovations since the mid-1970s will remember Steve Jobs with this 10 products that identify the man and his career - the technologist, innovator, visionary and inventor.

10 Products that Identify Steve Jobs

1.  Apple I (1976) - Apple's first product was a computer for hobbyists and engineers that was made in small numbers. Steve Wozniak designed it, while Steve Jobs orchestrated the funding and handled the marketing.

Product 2.  Apple II (1977) - The Apple II was designed as a mass-market product rather than something for engineers or enthusiasts. It was still largely Wozniak's design. Several upgrades for the model followed, and the product line continued until 1993.  It was one of the first successful personal computers.

Product 3.  Lisa (1983) - Lisa was the foundation for today's computer interfaces. Jobs' visit to Xerox Corp's research centre in Palo Alto inspired him to start work on the first commercial computer with a graphical user interface, with icons, windows and a cursor controlled by a mouse. Lisa, however, was too expensive to be a commercial success.

Product 4.  Macintosh (1984) - Like the Lisa, the Macintosh had a graphical user interface (GUI) and people realised the usefulness of GUI for design. It was also cheaper and faster and had the backing of a large advertising campaign behind it.  Macintosh led "desktop publishing", accomplished with a Mac coupled to a laser printer, that soon became a sales driver.

Product 5.  NeXT computer (1989) - After being forced out of Apple, Steve Jobs started a company that built a powerful workstation computer. Although the company was not able to sell in volumes, the computer was influential: for one thing, the world's first web browser was created on one.  The NeXT computer software lives on as the basis for today's Macintosh and iPhone operating system (O.S.).

Product 6.  iMac (1998) - Apple was struggling when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996, with an ever shrinking share of the PC market.  The iMac was the first step in reversing the falling out. It was designed as a bubble of blue plastic that enclosed both the monitor and the computer. Easy to set up, it captured the imagination, just as people worldwide were seeing the benefits of the internet and owning their first personal or home computer.

Product 7.  iPod (2001) - It may not be the first digital music player with a hard drive, but it was the first successful one. As Apple expanded into portable electronics, the iPod's success prepared the way for the iTunes music store and the iPhone.

Product 8.  iTunes store (2003) - Before the iTunes store, buying digital music was a hassle, making piracy the more popular option. The store simplified the process and brought together tracks from all the major labels.  In 2008, the iTunes store became the largest music retailer in the US.

Product 9.  iPhone (2007) - The iPhone did for the phone experience what the Macintosh did for personal computing - it made the power of a smartphone easy to harness, and its influence is evident in smartphones. Apple is now the world's most profitable maker of phones.

Product 10.  iPad (2010) - Many companies, including Apple, had created tablet computers before the iPad, but none took off. The iPad finally cracked the code, creating a whole new category of computer.

By the way, Steve Jobs was born the same year as Microsoft's Bill Gates.

Related Articles:

Apple Inc. Profile and Info. Accessed August 25, 2011

iPod History

Sources:

10 Products that Defined Steve Jobs Career, theage.com.au. Accessed Aug 23, 2011

Siegler, MG. "Steve Jobs Resigns As CEO Of Apple". TechCrunch. Accessed 25 August 2011.

Steve Jobs Quits, Reuters.  Accessed 25 August 2011.

Steve Jobs Quits as Apple CEO, The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed Aug 23, 2011.

Steve Jobs image by M. Yohe, Wiki Commons

Link added after Steve Jobs passed on:  Steve Jobs Loses Fight with Cancer