39photosofhowSteveJobssavedApple

fromdisasterandledittoruletheworld
MATTWEINBERGER
OCT.30,2015,8:00AM

Nowadays,Appleisthemostvaluablecompanyin
theworld,thanksinhugeparttothevisionoflate
cofounderandCEOSteveJobs.

Butifyouonlysawthemovie,yougotlessthanhalf
ofthestory.

Onceuponatime,Applewasadisaster,chewing
throughCEOsanddeliveringonebadquarterof
financialresultsafteranother.

In1996,knowinghehadtodosomethingdramatic,
AppleCEOGilAmelionegotiatedadealtobuy
NeXT,thecomputercompanyownedbyan
alienatedJobs,inhopesthatJobswouldbringsome
muchneededdirectiontothecompany. ApplecofounderSteveJobs

Instead,Jobsmanipulatedtheboardintogetting AlessiaPierdomenico/Reuters
AmeliofiredanddecidedthatifAppleweretobe
saved,hewouldbetheonetodoitevenifit
meantgettinghelpfromthecompany'srivalsat
Microsoft.

Here'swhathappenednext.
Inlate1996,AppleannouncedplanstobringcofounderSteveJobs
backintothefold11yearsafterheleftthecompanybyacquiringhis
startupNeXTfor$429millionjustintimeforJobstojointhenApple
CEOGilAmelioonstageatJanuary1997'sMacworldExpo,a
conventionforMacenthusiasts,asakeynotespeaker.

LouDematteis/Reuters
SteveJobs'NeXTfounditsnichesellinggraphicallyintensePCswith
cuttingedgescreenstouniversitiesandbanks.ApplehopedthatJobs
wouldrevitalizetheMacmaker,whosestockhadhita12yearlow
underAmelio'sleadershipandexperiencedcripplinglosses.

APImages
OnJuly4,1997,JobspersuadedApple'sboardtooustAmelioand
makeJobstheinterim,andthenpermanent,CEO.InAugust1997,Jobs
tookthestageatanotherMacworldExpotoannouncethatApplehad
takena$150millioninvestmentfromitslongtimerivalsatMicrosoft.
"Weneedallthehelpwecanget,"Jobssaid,toboosfromthe
audience.

JimBourg/Reuters
Infact,by1997,Apple'sfinancialsituationwassodirethatDellCEO
andfounderMichaelDell,oneofMicrosoft'sbiggestpartners,oncesaid
thatifhewereinJobs'shoes,he'd"shutitdownandgivethemoney
backtotheshareholders."

MarioTama/GettyImages
Butinearly1998,atyetanotherMacworldExpoinSanFrancisco,Jobs
endedhiskeynotewiththefirstofhissoontobeubiquitous"OneMore
Thing"announcements:ThankstoJobs'effortsinrefocusingthe
companyontheMac,andMicrosoft'shelp,Applewasfinallyprofitable
again.

Reuters
Alsoin1998,JobshiredanexecutivenamedTimCooktoheadup
Apple'sworldwideoperations.Cookwouldstaywiththecompany,
eventuallybecomingchiefoperatingofficer.

Flickr/Thetaxhaven
Jobsneededthehelp.Atthispoint,JobswasCEOofbothAppleand
PixarStudios,ofwhichhehadbecomechiefinvestorin1986after
fundingitwith$10million.Jobsisactuallycreditedasanexecutive
produceron1995's"ToyStory."

Getty/GabePalacio
Behindthescenes,JobswasmakingsomebigchangesforApple
employees,too:UnderJobs,theApplecafeteriagotmuchbetterfood,
andemployeeswerebarredfrombringingtheirpetstothecampus.He
wantedeverybodyfocusedonApple.

Instagram,@paulomshah
AlmostexactlyayearafterthatMicrosoftcashcamein,inAugust1998,
ApplewouldreleasetheiMac,anallinone,highperformancecomputer
codesignedbyJobsandnewtalentJonathanIve.

MousseMousse/Reuters
Itcameinmultiplecolors,thefirsttimetheworldwouldgetatasteof
Apple'sdesignfocusunderJobs.ThisfirstiMacwasamuchneededhit,
selling800,000unitsinitsfirstfivemonths.

AP
Jobshadoriginallypitchedthename"MacMan"forthisnewMac.Itwas
KenSegall,anexecutivewithApple'sadagencyatthetime,who
suggested"iMac."The"i"isfor"internet,"sinceittookonlytwostepsto
connecttotheweb,incaseyouwerewondering.ButApplehasalso
saiditstandsfor"individuality"and"innovation."

KenSegall
Thenamingschemewouldstickaround.In1999,Appleintroducedthe
"iBook,"afunkymachinethattriedtoreplicatetheiMac'ssuccessasan
entrylevellaptop.

PhotoscourtesyofPortfolio/Penguin,publisherofJONYIVE,TheGeniusBehindApple'sGreatestProducts
ButApple'snextreallydramaticmovewouldcomein2001,whenMac
OSXwasreleased.WhereApplehadbeentreadingwaterwithMacOS
8and9,OSXwasadrasticredesign,basedlargelyontheUnixand
BSDtechnologyatthecoreofJobs'NeXTComputers.

LouDematteis/Reuters
Fromhere,thingsstartedmovingfastandfuriousforApple.Laterin
2001Applewouldopenitsfirstretailstores,inVirginiaandCalifornia.

MarioTama/GettyImages
InOctober,Jobs'ApplewouldtakeitsfirststepsbeyondtheMacwith
theiPod,adigitalmusicplayerthatpromised"1,000songsinyour
pocket."TheiPodactuallygotofftoaslowstart,largelybecauseit
startedatapricey$399andworkedonlyonMacs.

STRNew/Reuters
In2003,AppleopeneduptheiTunesMusicStore,withitsnovelpricing
modelof$0.99persong,toturntheiPodintothecenterofadigital
mediauniverse.Aroundthesametime,bothiTunesandtheiPodhit
Windows,jumpstartingApple'smusicplay.

GettyImages
Butin2003Jobsreceivedsomenewsthatwouldcastashadowover
thegoodtimesatApple:Hehadpancreaticcancer.Hekeptitasecret
untilsharingthenewswithemployeesin2004.

SeanGallup/GettyImages
Injustsixyears,Applehadgonefromalaughingstockfromthe
Windowscrowdtoaseriousplayer.Andfrom2003to2006,itwentfrom
around$6persharetoabout$80pershare.Applewasstilllagging
behindMicrosoftinmarketshare,butitwasmakingseriousmoney.
CelebritieslikeU2andJohnMayerweretappedtohelpoutatcompany
events.

TimMosenfelder/Getty
Overtheyears,Jobs'Applehadbeenaskedtoextenditsdesign
expertisetocreatinganewtouchscreendevice.In2004,Jobs
convenedProjectPurple,underhissupervisionwithIveincharge,to
developatouchscreendevice.Originally,Jobswasenvisioninga
tablet,butiteventuallyturnedintoaconceptforacellphone.

BI
TheiPodlineupslowlygrew,too.By2005,therewastheiPod,theiPod
Mini,theiPadNano,andtheiPodShuffle,indescendingsizeorder.
ThatsameyearalsosawtheintroductionofthefirstiPodwithvideo,
alongsidetheabilitytobuymoviesandvideosoniTunes.

DonSynstelien
In2005,MotorolaintroducedtheROKR,aphonethatitmadein
partnershipwithApple.Itwasthefirstphonethatcouldplaymusicfrom
theiTunesMusicStore.Butitwaslimitedtobeingabletostoreonly100
songsbecauseofalimitinitssoftware.

Flickr/nicolelee
In2006,JobsmadeabigmovethatprobablysavedtheMac.Former
CEOJohnSculleyhadbankedApple'sfutureonthepriceyPowerPC
processor,whilethemajorWindowsPCmanufacturersstuckwithIntel.
ItmeantMacswerebothmoreexpensivetobuyandhardertodevelop
softwarefor.Butin2006,AppleintroducedthefirstMacBookPro
alongsideanewiMac,bothofwhichcamewithIntelprocessors.

LouDematteis/Reuters
ItalsomeantthatforthefirsttimeyoucouldinstallWindowsonaMac.

JustinSullivan/GettyImages
Applewasontheupswing.In2006,theflagshipAppleStoreopenedin
MidtownManhattan.Itsuniqueglasscubestructuremakesitamodern
NewYorkCitylandmark.

SethWenig/Reuters
Butatthispoint,Jobs'healthwasstartingtofade,andobserversstarted
totakenotice.NotehowthinJobslookshere,shakinghandswith
DisneyCEOBobIgerata2006Appleevent.

JustinSullivan/GettyImages
Still,2006alsomarkedapersonalvictoryforJobs.Hegottosendthis
emailtoeveryAppleemployee:"Team,itturnedoutthatMichaelDell
wasn'tperfectatpredictingthefuture.Basedontoday'sstockmarket
close,AppleisworthmorethanDell.Stocksgoupanddown,and
thingsmaybedifferenttomorrow,butIthoughtitwasworthamomentof
reflectiontoday.Steve."

SethWenig/Reuters
Afteryearsofspeculation,JobswouldofficiallyunveiltheiPhoneat
January2007'sMacworldExpo.Itcombinedthemusicfeaturesofthe
iPodwithaslick,responsivetouchscreenthatdidn'tneedastylus,
unlikemostmobiledevicesatthetime.AndtheiPhone'sSafariwasthe
firstfullfeaturedwebbrowseronaphone.

AP
Anexcitedmediadubbeditthe"JesusPhone."Excitedfanscamped
outinfrontofAppleStoresnationwide.

GettyImages/MarioTama
TheiPhonewasamassivehit,takingonly74daysfromitsAugust2007
launchtosellamillionunits.

SeanGallup/GettyImages
In2008,ApplereleasedthefirstbigiPhoneupdate:theiPhone3GS.It
hadfasternetworkspeeds,sure,butthebiggestchangewasthatit
camewiththisthingcalledanAppStoretoletyouinstallsoftwarefrom
nonAppledevelopers.Atlaunch,theAppStorehad500applications.

KimberlyWhite/Reuters
FamedventureinvestorJohnDoerrofKleiner,Perkins,Caufield&
Byerstookthestagetoannouncea$100millioniFundforapp
developers.Itwasthestartoftheappeconomy,andApplewasleaving
Microsoftinthedust.

DavidPaulMorris/GettyImages
Still,Jobs'healthcontinuedtoloomoverApple.InAugust2008,
Bloombergaccidentallypublisheda2,500wordobituaryofJobs.Ata
September2008keynote,Jobspokedfunattheidea.

RobertGalbraith/Reuters
In2009,TimCookwastappedasinterimCEOwhileJobstookthefirst
ofthreeextendedmedicalleaves.EvenonJobs'return,Cookbecamea
regularatApplekeynotes.WhenJobsreturned,hisprognosiswas
listedas"excellent."

REUTERS/KimberlyWhite
In2010,JobsfinallyintroducedtheAppleiPad,thetablethehadbeen
wantingsincetheearly2000s.

GettyImagesNews
TheiPhoneandtheiPadaccidentallystartedaninternetstandardswar.
JobsthoughtAdobe'sFlash,thenthedefactostandardforinteractive
webcontent,wasslowandinsecure.AndsoApple'smobiledevices
didn'tsupportit.AjiltedAdobe,recognizingthethreatthisposedtoits
business,tookoutmagazineadsbeggingAppletoreconsider,tono
avail.

JustinSullivan/GettyImages
Inearly2011,duringthelastofhismedicalleaves,Jobswouldgivehis
finaltwoproductannouncementpresentations:oneinMarchforthe
iPad2,andoneinJunefortheiCloudservice.

BeckDiefenbach/Reuters
JobsmadehislastpublicappearanceinJune2011.Heproposedanew
AppleCampustotheCupertinoCityCouncil.Afteryearsof
construction,Appleisplanningtomoveintothe"spaceshipcampus"in
late2016orearly2017.

Apple
JobssteppeddownasAppleCEOonAugust24,2011,acceptingarole
aschairman,afterhispancreaticcancerrelapsed.Notlongafter,Jobs
diedonOctober5,2011,workingforAppleuntilthedaybeforehis
death.Thatnight,theflagsatAppleflewathalfstaff.

WikimediaCommons
TimCookgotthenodasfulltimeCEOafterJobs'resignation.Apple
hascontinuedtogrowunderCook,becomingthemostvaluable
companyintheworld.Andtherest,astheysay,ishistory.

REUTERS/StephenLam