Steve Jobs Death.docx

Steve Jobs Death.docx

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SteveJobsDeath

Apple’sVisionaryRedefinedDigitalAge

StevenP.Jobs,thevisionaryco-founderofApplewhohelpedusherintheeraofpersonalcomputersandthenledaculturaltransformationinthewaymusic,moviesandmobilecommunicationswereexperiencedinthedigitalage,diedWednesday.Hewas56.

ThedeathwasannouncedbyApple,thecompanyMr.JobsandhishighschoolfriendStephenWozniakstartedin1976inasuburbanCaliforniagarage.

AfriendofthefamilysaidthatMr.Jobsdiedofcomplicationsfrompancreaticcancer,withwhichhewagedalongandpublicstruggle,remainingthefaceofthecompanyevenasheunderwenttreatment.Hecontinuedtointroducenewproductsforaglobalmarketinhistrademarkbluejeansevenashegrewgauntandfrail.

Heunderwentsurgeryin2004,receivedalivertransplantin2009andtookthreemedicalleavesofabsenceasApple’schiefexecutivebeforesteppingdowninAugustandturningoverthehelmtoTimothyD.Cook,thechiefoperatingofficer.Whenheleft,hewasstillengagedinthecompany’saffairs,negotiatingwithanotherSiliconValleyexecutiveonlyweeksearlier.

“IhavealwayssaidthatifthereevercameadaywhenIcouldnolongermeetmydutiesandexpectationsasApple’sC.E.O.,Iwouldbethefirsttoletyouknow,”Mr.Jobssaidinaletterreleasedbythecompany.“Unfortunately,thatdayhascome.”

Bythen,havingmastereddigitaltechnologyandcapitalizedonhisintuitivemarketingsense,Mr.JobshadlargelycometodefinethepersonalcomputerindustryandanarrayofdigitalconsumerandentertainmentbusinessescenteredontheInternet.Hehadalsobecomeaveryrichman,worthanestimated$8.3billion.

TributestoMr.JobsflowedquicklyonWednesdayevening,informalstatementsandintheflowofsocialnetworks,withPresidentObama,technologyindustryleadersandlegionsofApplefansweighingin.

ATwitterusernamedMattGalliganwrote:

“R.I.P.SteveJobs.Youtouchedanuglyworldoftechnologyandmadeitbeautiful.”

EightyearsafterfoundingApple,Mr.JobsledtheteamthatdesignedtheMacintoshcomputer,abreakthroughinmakingpersonalcomputerseasiertouse.Aftera12-yearseparationfromthecompany,promptedbyabitterfalling-outwithhischiefexecutive,JohnSculley,hereturnedin1997tooverseethecreationofoneinnovativedigitaldeviceafteranother—theiPod,theiPhoneandtheiPad.Thesetransformednotonlyproductcategorieslikemusicplayersandcellphonesbutalsoentireindustries,likemusicandmobilecommunications.

DuringhisyearsoutsideApple,heboughtatinycomputergraphicsspinofffromthedirectorGeorgeLucasandbuiltateamofcomputerscientists,artistsandanimatorsthatbecamePixarAnimationStudios.

Startingwith“ToyStory”in1995,Pixarproducedastringofhitmovies,wonseveralAcademyAwardsforartisticandtechnologicalexcellence,andmadethefull-lengthcomputer-animatedfilmamainstreamartformenjoyedbychildrenandadultsworldwide.

Mr.Jobswasneitherahardwareengineernorasoftwareprogrammer,nordidhethinkofhimselfasamanager.Heconsideredhimselfatechnologyleader,choosingthebestpeoplepossible,encouragingandproddingthem,andmakingthefinalcallonproductdesign.

Itwasanexecutivestylethathadevolved.InhisearlyyearsatApple,hismeddlingintinydetailsmaddenedcolleagues,andhiscriticismcouldbecausticandevenhumiliating.Buthegrewtoelicitextraordinaryloyalty.

“Hewasthemostpassionateleaderonecouldhopefor,amotivatingforcewithoutparallel,”wroteStevenLevy,authorofthe1994book“InsanelyGreat,”whichchroniclesthecreationoftheMac.“TomSawyercouldhavepickeduptricksfromSteveJobs.”

“ToyStory,”forexample,tookfouryearstomakewhilePixarstruggled,yetMr.Jobsneverletuponhiscolleagues.“‘Youneedalotmorethanvision—youneedastubbornness,tenacity,beliefandpatiencetostaythecourse,”saidEdwinCatmull,acomputerscientistandaco-founderofPixar.“InSteve’scase,hepushesrighttotheedge,totrytomakethenextbigstepforward.”

Mr.JobswastheultimatearbiterofAppleproducts,andhisstandardswereexacting.OverthecourseofayearhetossedouttwoiPhoneprototypes,forexample,beforeapprovingthethird,andbeganshippingitinJune2007.

Tohisunderstandingoftechnologyhebroughtanimmersioninpopularculture.Inhis20s,hedatedJoanBaez;EllaFitzgeraldsangathis30thbirthdayparty.Hisworldviewwasshapedbythe’60scountercultureintheSanFranciscoBayArea,wherehehadgrownup,theadoptedsonofaSiliconValleymachinist.WhenhegraduatedfromhighschoolinCupertinoin1972,hesaid,”theverystrongscentofthe1960swasstillthere.”

AfterdroppingoutofReedCollege,astrongholdofliberalthoughtinPortland,Ore.,in1972,Mr.Jobsledacounterculturallifestylehimself.HetoldareporterthattakingLSDwasoneofthetwoorthreemostimportantthingshehaddoneinhislife.Hesaidtherewerethingsabouthimthatpeoplewhohadnottriedpsychedelics—evenpeoplewhoknewhimwell,includinghiswife—couldneverunderstand.

Decadeslaterheflewaroundtheworldinhisowncorporatejet,buthemaintainedemotionaltiestotheperiodinwhichhegrewup.Heoftenfeltlikeanoutsiderinthecorporateworld,hesaid.WhendiscussingtheSiliconValley’slastingcontributionstohumanity,hementionedinthesamebreaththeinventionofthemicrochipand“TheWholeEarthCatalog,”a1960scounterculturepublication.

Apple’sverynamereflectedhisunconventionality.Inanerawhenengineersandhobbyiststendedtodescribetheirmachineswithmodelnumbers,hechosethenameofafruit,supposedlybecauseofhisdietaryhabitsatthetime.

Comingonthescenejustascomputingbegantomovebeyondthewallsofresearchlaboratoriesandcorporationsinthe1970s,Mr.Jobssawthatcomputingwasbecomingpersonal—thatitcoulddomorethancrunchnumbersandsolvescientificandbusinessproblems—andthatitcouldevenbeaforceforsocialandeconomicchange.Andatatimewhenhobbyistcomputerswereboxywoodenaffairswithmetalchassis,hedesignedtheAppleIIasasleek,low-slungplasticpackageintendedforthedenorthekitchen.Hewasofferingnotjustproductsbutadigitallifestyle.

Heputmuchstockinthenotionof“taste,”awordheusedfrequently.Itwasasensibilitythatshoneinproductsthatlookedlikeworksofartanddelightedusers.Greatproducts,hesaid,wereatriumphoftaste,of“tryingtoexposeyourselftothebestthingshumanshavedoneandthentryingtobringthosethingsintowhatyouaredoing.”

RegisMcKenna,alongtimeSiliconValleymarketingexecutivetowhomMr.Jobsturnedinthelate1970stohelpshapetheApplebrand,saidMr.Jobs’sgeniuslayinhisabilitytosimplifycomplex,highlyengineeredproducts,“tostripawaytheexcesslayersofbusiness,designandinnovationuntilonlythesimple,elegantrealityremained.”

Mr.Jobs’sownresearchandintuition,notfocusgroups,werehisguide.WhenaskedwhatmarketresearchwentintotheiPad,Mr.Jobsreplied:

“None.It’snottheconsumers’jobtoknowwhattheywant.”

EarlyInterests

StevenPaulJobswasborninSanFranciscoonFeb.24,1955,andsurrenderedforadoptionbyhisbiologicalparents,JoanneCaroleSchiebleandAbdulfattahJandali,agraduatestudentfromSyriawhobecameapoliticalscienceprofessor.HewasadoptedbyPaulandClaraJobs.

TheelderMr.Jobs,whoworkedinfinanceandrealestatebeforereturningtohisoriginaltradeasamachinist,movedhisfamilydowntheSanFranciscoPeninsulatoMountainViewandthentoLosAltosinthe1960s.

Mr.Jobsdevelopedanearlyinterestinelectronics.Hewasmentoredbyaneighbor,anelectronicshobbyist,whobuiltHeathkitdo-it-yourselfelectronicsprojects.Hewasbrashfromanearlyage.Asaneighthgrader,afterdiscoveringthatacrucialpartwasmissingfromafrequencycounterhewasassembling,hetelephonedWilliamHewlett,theco-founderofHewlett-Packard.Mr.Hewlettspokewiththeboyfor20minutes,preparedabagofpartsforhimtopickupandofferedhimajobasasummerintern.

Mr.JobsmetMr.WozniakwhileattendingHomesteadHighSchoolinneighboringCupertino.Thetwotookanintroductoryelectronicsclassthere.

ThesparkthatignitedtheirpartnershipwasprovidedbyMr.Wozniak’smother.Mr.WozniakhadgraduatedfromhighschoolandenrolledattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,whenshesenthimanarticlefromtheOctober1971issueofEsquiremagazine.Thearticle,“SecretsoftheLittleBlueBox,”byRonRosenbaum,detailedanundergroundhobbyistcultureofyoungmenknownasphonephreakswhowereillicitlyexploringthenation’sphonesystem.

Mr.WozniaksharedthearticlewithMr.Jobs,andthetwosetouttotrackdownanelusivefigureidentifiedinthearticleasCaptainCrunch.ThemanhadtakenthenamefromhisdiscoverythatawhistlethatcameinboxesofCap’nCrunchcerealwastunedtoafrequencythatmadeitpossibletomakefreelong-distancecallssimplybyblowingthewhistlenexttoaphonehandset.

CaptainCrunchwasJohnDraper,aformerAirForceelectronictechnician,andfindinghimtookseveralweeks.Learningthatthetwoyounghobbyistsweresearchingforhim,Mr.DraperhadarrangedtocometoMr.Wozniak’sBerkeleydormitoryroom.Mr.Jobs,whowasstillinhighschool,hadtraveledtoBerkeleyforthemeeting.WhenMr.Draperarrived,heenteredtheroomsayingsimply,“ItisI!

”

BasedoninformationtheygleanedfromMr.Draper,Mr.WozniakandMr.Jobslatercollaboratedonbuildingandsellingblueboxes,devicesthatwerewidelyusedformakingfree—andillegal—