Happy Birthday, Steve Jobs, Creator of Apple Computers

Derided by some, held up as a technological savior by others, Steve Jobs helped launch a wave of personal computer use that has redefined the world’s economy and the way people interact, and he started it all from the comfort of his parents’ garage.

Born to a machinist father and accountant mother in a pocket of northern California now known as Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs was quickly drawn to the wealth of technology and innovation that surrounded him, going to work for Hewlett-Packer on summer breaks during high school.

There he met a college dropout named Stephen Wozniak, who worked as an engineer, but was drawn to creating electronic gadgets. The two would meet again after Jobs dropped out of Reed College in Oregon, when they both worked as game designers for Atari.

Far from content with following another’s path, Jobs proposed that Wozniak help him build a personal computer of his own, providing a hands-on alternative to the massive machines that had defined the field until then.

Joined by Ronald Wayne, the pair sold what they could and set up shop in Job’s parents’ garage, producing the first computer in 1976 under the name Apple I at the age of just 21.

The first single-board computer with onboard read-only memory (ROM), the Apple I was the company’s inaugural offering, but was painfully elementary compared to what would come.

In the years that followed, Jobs and Wozniak continued to produce more and more powerful computers, encouraging users to design their own programs on the new, easy-to-use system.

It was not until 1983 that Jobs made Apple into a global brand. Introduced to the public as a personal computer that even the technologically illiterate could use with ease, the Lisa and the less powerful Macintosh were Jobs’ effort to bring the computer to the masses.

Flush with confidence and eager to pursue a dream of making computers a widely available consumer good instead of a tool used only by programmers and engineers, Jobs announced the new product with a degree of drama and fanfare that quickly became his calling card.

However, Jobs’ bravado and showmanship, evidenced in a now legendary Super Bowl ad announcing the new computer, quickly wore thin with the new CEO he had brought in to help the company grow—former Pepsi head John Sculley.

Despite the stratospheric rise of Jobs and Apple in the mid-1980s, Sculley soon found reason to push Jobs out of the company he had created, sending him packing at the age of 30.

Intent on continuing his creative streak, Jobs quickly purchased the animation arm of Lucas Film and launched an effort to create the ultimate in educational computers.

While the education endeavor was well received by the industry, if not profitable or ultimately very successful, it was Jobs’ foray into film that would bring him back to life on the global scale.

After several years of “Bobby Fischer-like” isolation, Jobs renamed his new animation firm Pixar and released the movie “Toy Story,” putting him back at the fore of innovation and creativity.

In addition to earning him hundreds of millions when the company was finally sold to Disney, Jobs’ hand at Pixar earned him an invitation to return to an ailing Apple as a consultant, and replace the very man who had ousted him just a year later.

Back at the helm of Apple in 1996, Jobs quickly resolved a long-running feud with Microsoft, striking up a programming agreement with his rivals and setting about creating a line of products meant for the broadest audience possible.

Introducing the iMac in 1998, Jobs reinvigorated Apple by stressing design and accessibility, with tools, applications and a style that seemed revolutionary compared to older generations.

In 2001, Jobs introduced the company’s contribution to the personal music device market with the iPod, which not only proved to be incredibly successful, but also transformed Apple into a media company rather than just a computer company.

Smaller players, more powerful computers and all-in-one phones followed, all introduced with Jobs’ trademark secrecy and showmanship.

Although there was debate surrounding how much input Jobs had in the actual design of Apple’s line, there was little disagreement that he had become pivotal to how the products were branded and sold.

This front and center role began to backfire recently as Jobs’ importance became so accepted that rumors surrounding his ailing health had the potential to send Apple stock prices tumbling.

This situation became increasingly detrimental to Apple as photos of a thin, visibly unhealthy Jobs began surfacing, followed by a last-minute cancelation at Apple’s annual conference.

After months of speculation, Jobs announced that he would be stepping down from the company he created in 1975 for a six-month medical sabbatical.

Always known for his secrecy, Jobs has allowed little information about his health and future at Apple, leaving his plans to the imagination.