Steven P. Jobs co-founded Apple Computers with Steven Wozniak in 1976 in his parents' garage in Silicon Valley. In 1977, the Apple II was introduced.
Shortly thereafter, Christine and Al Giovetti purchased their first Apple II computer with a Control Program for Microcomputers (CP/M) with an IBM 8088 chip expansion board and a copy of Howard Soft Income Tax Preparation Software. We could never get the printer to print out the information on plain paper with overlays. It took several years and the purchase of an IBM 8088 dedicated machine to get our tax software to work with overlays and an 80 column EPSON dot matrix printer.
Apple computers has had its ups and downs with the latest up showing stock at over $400 per share due to the popularity of the iPod (2001), iPhone (2007) and iPad (2010). Jobs pulled the iPod out of his jeans pocket at a press conference. (A device that lets you take your entire music collection with you effortlessly wherever you go. "So compact and light, you will not know it is in your pocket.")
Jobs was a showman. He knew how to use the technical genius of Steve Wozniak and other nerd experts. Jobs loved to sell new shiny innovative technology. Jobs' vision made Apple great.
The iPod led to the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. When Jobs introduced the iPod Nano at a press conference, he gave each attendee a free iPod Nano. Job's press conferences were entertaining and fun. Not only a good show but Apple came bearing gifts.
Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003. In 2008, after a miraculous remission, the cancer had spread to his liver requiring a transplant. After sitting on the stage for nearly 2 hours of the disappointing October 4, 2011 press conference introducing the iPhone 4S with a better processor and a better camera, he died on October 5, 2011.
Pancreatic cancer remission of 8 years is remarkable in itself. Most pancreatic cancer patients die within weeks of receiving the diagnosis.
It would be conservative to say that the two Steves (Jobs and Woz) changed the way we viewed the world many times during their lifetimes. Jobs was 56 when he died. Jobs was born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955.
In this Wired and Connected world of touch screen computing, Job's passing leaves the world less innovative and less visionary. People who already miss Jobs are leaving sincere condolences on post it messages to morn his passing on the front window of the San Francisco Apple store.
We will all miss him.