Thesis Steve Jobs was a pioneer, whose imagination and vision challenged the status quo, and created

products and ideas that revolutionized our world. The reaction to his ideas was often skepticism, but the quality of his products led to the reforms that were needed for a revolution to take hold. It was virtually impossible to cover only one industry that he transformed because they are all so connected. Therefore, I have created separate webpages, each with the specific reform, reaction, revolution, and the historical context within which it occurred. Introduction Steve Jobs transformed the computer industry by making computers that were friendly in their design, easy to use, and extremely powerful. Eventually the revolution lead to "Apple Computers" becoming "Apple " re-imagining the company which will create things that will change the day to day lives of millions of people. Background: Need for Reform The complexity and cost of a computer meant that very few people had the access or knowledge to be able to use them. Reaction: Apple Computers April 1, 1977: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak start Apple Computers. 1981: Apple II becomes the worlds most popular computer, and Apple, $300 million dollar corporation. Nov. 1981: IBM enters the personal computer market. 1983 Apple and IBM emerge as the industrys strongest competitors. Revolution: Apple Macintosh, 1984 The Apple Macintosh revolutionized the entire computer industry. Steve Jobs and his ingenious Macintosh team created a computer to be used by the normal person in the street and not only by experts.. Reaction: In 1985, Steve Jobs is forced out of Apple Computers, by John Sculley (the CEO he had recruited to run Apple). Jobs leaves Apple, selling all his stock in the company he co-founded, and starts over. Jobs' NeXT Step Steve Jobs starts a new company, "NeXT "and creates computers and software that are far beyond their time. Reform: Apple's prodigal son returns. Apple stumbles and is on the brink of bankruptcy, when it purchases NeXT computers in 1996 for its operating system, and Mr. Jobs returns. Reform: The original Apple I was the first computer to use a single circuit board operating system. Revolution: However, it was Apple's all-in-one personal computer, the Apple II that was revolutionary at the time. The Apple II was released in March 1977, and had earnings of $139,000,000 within three years, a growth of 700 percent. Reaction: In 1981, IBM introduced the PC with the Microsoft operating system. In 1983, IBM passed Apple in dollar sales and market share. IBM's dominance made its Microsoft operating system an industry standard, which was NOT compatible with Apple products. Reform: Making friendly, functional computers.

Revolution: The Macintosh was so simple yet powerful that anyone could begin using it. Introduced at the 1984 Superbowl, everything about this computer was revolutionary. It was the first computer to have a Graphical User Interface (GUI), which meant that you had pull down menus, graphics and multiple programs launched by clicks, running concurrently. The Macintosh had the very first mouse and eliminated the need for complicated programming language to do simple things. One of the goals of the Macintosh was to seem friendly. From its shape, to the smiling icon handwritten script proclaiming "Welcome", this was a different type of computer. Reform: Steve Jobs' NeXT Stop NeXT Computers In 1985, Steve Jobs is ousted from Apple. He sells his Apple stock and defiantly founds NeXT Computers. These are expensive machines with an operating system that attempts to marry the power of UNIX with a GUI. Too expensive for the average person and businesses were already invested in the IBM/Microsoft platform, so NeXT was not terribly successful. Reaction: Apple bought NeXT in 1996 for its operating system, that would become the backbone of the new "iMac", and Steve Jobs returned to Apple. This would lead to the Revolution. Background In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple as it's CEO with an annual salary of $1. Reform He proceeded to cut the product line, and bring focus and innovation to the company. Revolution The new iMacs with their interesting shape and fun colors continued the original theme of the computer being your friend. (At the time, Microsoft was a $250 billion company, while Apple, was worth $6 billion, even after Microsoft had given $150 million to Apple in 1997.) From Computers to Moviemaking? Reforming the Movie Industry In 1986 Steve Jobs bought a fledgling company, Pixar, from George Lucas, that designed and built specialized computer workstations and software for 3-D animation. What made Pixar so Revolutionary? The technology devised by Pixar created a new 3-D look for cartoons and allowed the stockpiling of digital characters, sets, and scenes. Pixar's technique transformed the animated movie industry and dramatically reduced the time and cost required. Conclusion With the string of blockbuster hits, Steve Jobs sells Pixar to Disney for $7.4 billion, making him the largest Disney shareholder. Background Reform Needed: New Technology vs. Old Ways of Doing Things Technology allowed music to be shared at a mass level which meant that the intellectual property of record companies was being stolen and sales were plummeting.

Revolution: Timing is everything. iTunes was a digital store that changed how music was marketed and distributed, as well as how customers bought and used the music. Apple was able to create something that satisfied the record companies AND the customer. iTunes page. Reaction: iPod In 2001, Apple created an elegant music player known as the "iPod" that integrated seamlessly with iTunes. Compact and easy to store and manipulate music it became an instant success. The iTunes store opened on April 28, 2003. Five of the major music companies had agreed to sell their music on it and in April, 2008 it became and still is the #1 seller of music. The original music players were clunky and hard to use. Apple's ipod, was small, elegant, and easy to use. The ability to store, manipulate, and carry your music library in your pocket is and was truly revolutionary. While not the first music player on the market, the ipod has become the dominant music player with 78% of the market and over 300 million sold in the last 10 years. The App Store: Your life reimagined App Store revolutionized how mobile software is distributed. Like the iTunes store, the App store is simple and seamless. App Store has 500,000 apps in its inventory, and has sold over 25 billion Apps. Background By 2001, the computer industry had become commoditized, with falling prices and low profit margins. It was in this environment that Apple decided to open its first Apple store. Reform: Going Against The Grain In 2001, all the experts said that the Apple retail stores were a costly, mistake and would close within the year. It is 2012 and Apple now has 361 stores which make more per square foot than Tiffanys. Laptops: Working on the Go! Apple laptops were revolutionary for their design, size, & capability and they continue to set the industry standard. The idea for the iPad actually came from a Microsoft engineer as told by Steve Jobs Designed to become the center of your digital life by being the storage hub to all of your devices.