Think Different and Improve the World: A Brief Biograhpy of Steve Jobs

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Think Different and Improve the World: A Brief Biograhpy of Steve Jobs

Filed under: Jobs

By: Lawrence Roth

The desktop computer has changed the world for the better. Today people are able to communicate, entertain and do business more easily and effectiverly than any previous generation. Steven Paul Jobs is recognized with being one of the great modern visionaries that has made that possible.

Steven Paul Jobs was born in San Francisco, California on February 24, 1955. A few weeks later he was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. Jobs attended Cupertino Middle School and Homestead High School. Jobs attended after-school lectures presented at the Hewlett-Packard Company. In his teens, Jobs would become friends with Steve Woznaick who Jobs credited with knowing more about electronics than him.

After graduating from high school Jobs attended Reed College for one semester in Portland, Oregon. However, he still attended classes at Reed for nearly a year even after dropping out. Jobs later returned to California and began attending meetings at the Homebrew Computer Club in which Woznaick was a member.

He obtained a job at Atari, a manufacturer of video games, where he worked nights. Occassionally, Jobs requested the help of Woznaick on some of his work at Atari. Becoming interested in Eastern Religions Jobs requested time off work from Atari. Jobs along with a friend from Reed College backpacked around India. Returning to work at Atari Jobs offered to split a bonus with Wozniak if Wozniack could minimize the number of chips on a circuit board. Wozniak accomplished the task by reducing the number of chips by 50.

In 1976 Jobs and Wozniack established the Apple Computer Company. Computers at that time where big and bulky. Room sized computers where used by businesses to perform complex mathematical calculations. Steve Jobs believed that people would be intrigued by smaller computers for the home. Most doubted the young company would have any success. However, Steve Jobs was great at thinking differently. He was interested in changing the world. He also had a knack for understanding what fascinated people.

Wozniak was stunned when Jobs had called and informed him of their first sale. Fifty computers for a retail shop in Mountain View, California. The Apple Computer Company did not have much money, parts or assembled computers. And they only had thirty days to get the parts and assemble fifty computers for this retail shop. Wozniak had to wonder what Steve Jobs had gotten them into. It appeared to be an impossible task. However they did accomplish the task and delivered on time.

In December 1980 Apple Computer had a successful IPO which made Steve Jobs a young multi-millionaire. In 1983 Jobs convinced then Pepsi-Cola CEO John Sculley to become the CEO for Apple Computer presenting him the now famous challenge, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world?" In 1984 the Apple Macintosh was introduced and the famous "1984" Apple commerical aired during the Super Bowl. The Macintosh became the first commericially successful computer with a graphical user interface.

However, by 1985 with a slump in sales and numerous employee complaints of a temperamental Steve Jobs, CEO John Sculley relieved Steve Jobs of his duties at the Apple Computer Company. Jobs went on to found another company called NeXT Computer.

In 1986 Steve Jobs entered into the entertainment business by purchasing Pixar Studios. Pixar was a computer graphics division of Lucasfilm. Pixar worked with Disney to produce quality computer animation films like Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and Monsters, Inc. Pixar was later bought out by Disney which made Steve Jobs the largest shareholder on the Disney Board of Directors.

In 1996 Apple Computer Company bought NeXT Computer Company which brought Jobs back to Apple. In 1997 Jobs became the interim CEO. The revitalization of Apple Computer Company by Jobs brought the public a new generation of computer related products: the iPod, iTunes, iMac and iPhone. In 2000 Jobs became the permanent CEO of Apple Computer Company.

Lawrence Roth is a professional Web Developer and part-owner of Rothline which has a website at http://www.rothline.com and an ebay store at http://stores.ebay.com/Rothline-Entertainment.