I was saddened to wake up to the news of Steve Jobs’ death this morning.
A true visionary, Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. From the Apple 1 to the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Jobs’ creativity, vision and ability to think ahead has led Apple to become the second most valuable company in the world today.
Simple, elegant design is at the heart of Apple’s products and Jobs led a company that rose to the top by making technology easy and desirable. Apple was long regarded as a niche, high-end computer company in the shadow of the giant Microsoft, but the release of the first iPod in 2001 changed the way we listen to music and ushered Apple products into the mainstream.
Spearheaded by Jobs, Apple then targeted the mobile phone market and introduced the iPhone in 2007. So much more than just a device to make phone calls on, the iPhone was a powerful computer in your pocket that reshaped the technology and communications industry.
An inspirational leader and public speaker, Jobs transformed the way we use technology in every day life and will be remembered as an industry pioneer.