With yesterday’s shock news that Steve Jobs is to resign as CEO of Apple from immediate effect we thought we'd take you on a trip down memory lane and show you how Steve Jobs managed change the world of music, telecommunications, computers, lifestyle and culture through his reign as the CEO of Apple.
Over the course of Jobs’ tenure as CEO he took Apple from a failing business to the dizzy heights of the world's richest company - with 4 products he managed to culturally change the world. And this, in part, is how he did it.
The iMac: the world’s first all-in-one computer
In 1997 Apple's products looked; well, not great – the company was on its death bed. Jobs had been forced out of the company he founded by a man that he had persuaded to come work for him.
But in a stroke of genius Jobs was brought back to Apple and managed to construct a miraculous turn around. A year later Apple released the first all-in-one Mac. The iMac.
The iMac was a massive success; the design and looks were the foundation for Apple to build a brand that stood out from the crowd. Like a true visionary Jobs made the iMac technologically advance too.
It was the first computer to come with a USB and the first computer to drop the floppy disk. It single handily saved Apple from the brink of destruction.
It brought the world’s attention to Apple and its forwarding thinking approach – where design and looks were just a important, if not more important, than specs or power. It would be the DNA for all future Apple products.
The iPod: the future of music industry and the death of the Walkman, CD’s and CD Players
In 2001 Apple released the iPod the most successful portable music player ever. They essentially created the 21st century version of the Walkman. But with one extra adage. Apple would sell you the music for your iPod too.
Over the last 10 years the iPod and its cousins have essentially killed off the CD Player and in many respects the CD itself. Haled as pure evil by the music industry – the iPod brought cheap music to the masses. No longer were you expected to pay for a full album – you could choose the tracks you like. This changed the music industry for ever. And in many cases they’re are still trying to adjust to the change to this day.
In just one product Apple had gone from computers to that start of an all encompassing multi-media empire. They were now a force to be reckoned with. Consumers had fallen in love with a brand as well as the iPod's interface, design, and ease of use.
This was also a kick-start for Apple to sell millions of Macbook's and iMac's - without the iPod Apple probably wouldn't be where it's today – they changed the landscape of the music buying world and several industries in the process. Love it or hate the iPod changed the world we live in now.
The iPhone: the phone the changed the mobile world for ever
Then, in 2007, Apple turned its attention to the Touchscreen Smartphones. Over the course of the 90's and early naughties there was a race to see who could make the smallest and thinnest mobile phone.
Apple, of course, went a completely different way with their iPhone. Looking like something you'd find in Star Trek – the iPhone caught the entire mobile phone industry by surprise and asleep. In fact the rest of the mobile world as still playing catch up to this day.
The iPhone was every bit revolutionary as they had claimed. Many people thought that the iPhone would be the downfall of Apple and how wrong they were.
Not only did it become the number mobile phone throughout the world. But it spawned the App store, brought iTunes into the pockets of millions of users and put the final nails in the coffins of Nokia, RIM and Ericsson.
It wasn’t so much the phone that revolutionise the mobile world. But is revolutionised what Apple could sell you through the phone. When Nokia and the like were trying to sell you ringtones and phone covers. Apple wanted to sell you software, games, books and videos – the iPhone gave Apple the platform to create a giant eco-system where you’d never need to buy a physical product every again. A true stroke of pure genius.
The iPad: the first post-pc device
In 2010, they had their next success with the iPad. Many Geeks will obsess that the iPad is a giant iPhone and concentrate on what the iPad doesn't have; ports, menus, windows, a built-in keyboard, a accessible file system and so on. But this hasn't made one bit of difference to the sales of the iPad. Just like the iPod and iPhone before it the iPad has been arguably their greatest success story.
It has paved the way for the future of computing. What Steve Jobs declared as the “first post-pc device”.
A device that actually delivered on it’s lofty promises. A computer that could be all things to all users. It's a book, a vides player, a music player, a games console, a education tool – just about anything you can think where you might use a computer you could use a iPad.
They showed a glimpse of a world were the PC was archaic and uncool. They showed the world a future of interactivity that had never seen before. Once again they had innovated where other hadn’t.
The arrival of iTunes and the iPod accelerated two generational shifts – from albums to tracks, and from CDs to MP3s – while simultaneously ripping down the value of music and making it more available and ubiquitous than ever before.
And the same can be said for software and games. No longer do you buy software on phyisal media - everything is sold through the Apple’s bullet-proof eco-system.
Many fear that the end of Steve Jobs rein will be the turning point for Apple and are postulating its demise. But this couldn't be any further from the truth. Apple is more than one person.
No one person builds an empire. It's the process of building a team which Jobs has done so successfully. Apple is full of little Jobs’ – there will be thousands of talented and visionary people working at Apple. What Jobs has created is a place the where they can express their ideas and visions and it’s success is the product of this corporate culture so maticulously created by Steve Jobs.
No one can predict what will happen to Apple over the coming years, many will try, but with their unique corporate culture, their workforce and their massive reserves of cash the thought that it crumble around them is something we can’t see happening.
What do you think will happen to Apple now that Steve Jobs has taken a step back from the day-to-day running of the company for good ? Let us know below.
One thought on “How Steve Jobs Changed The World With Just 4 Products”
Oh really !!!
By inventing the Steam Engine, George Stevenson changed the world …
By inventing radio, Marconi changed the world …
By inventing heavier than air Flight, the Wright Brothers changed the world …
By discovering Penicillin, Sir Andrew Fleming changed the world …
Surely, managing teams of specialists in miniaturising a computer, or finding a way to store music in a hand held device or repackaging a phone really counts in the great scheme of things ?