10 products that defined Steve Jobs' career

Oct 06, 2011 By PETER SVENSSON , AP Technology Writer
This 1998 file photo provided by Apple, shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs pose for a photo with an iMac computer. Apple on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 said Jobs has died. He was 56. (AP Photo/Apple, Moshe Brakha, File)

(AP) -- Steve Jobs had no formal schooling in engineering, yet he's listed as the inventor or co-inventor on more than 300 U.S. patents. These are some of the significant products that were created under his direction:

1. Apple I (1976) - Apple's first product was a computer for hobbyists and engineers, made in small numbers. designed it, while Jobs orchestrated the funding and handled the marketing.

2. Apple II (1977) - One of the first successful personal computers, the Apple II was designed as a mass-market product rather than something for engineers or enthusiasts. It was still largely Wozniak's design. Several upgrades for the model followed, and the product line continued until 1993.

3. Lisa (1983) - Jobs' visit to Xerox Corp.'s research center in Palo Alto inspired him to start work on the first commercial computer with a graphical user interface, with icons, windows and a cursor controlled by a mouse. It was the foundation for today's computer interfaces, but the Lisa was too expensive to be a commercial success.

4. Macintosh (1984) - Like the Lisa, the Macintosh had a . It was also cheaper and faster and had the backing of a large behind it. People soon realized how useful the graphical interface was for design. That led "desktop publishing," accomplished with a Mac coupled to a , to soon become a sales driver.

5. NeXT computer (1989) - After being forced out of Apple, Jobs started a company that built a powerful workstation computer. The company was never able to sell , but the computer was influential: The world's first Web browser was created on one. Its software also lives on as the basis for today's Macintosh and iPhone operating system.

6. iMac (1998) - When Jobs returned to Apple in 1996, the company was foundering, with an ever shrinking share of the PC market. The radical iMac was the first step in reversing the slide. It was strikingly designed as a bubble of blue plastic that enclosed both the monitor and the computer. Easy to set up, it captured the imagination just as people across the world were having their eyes opened to the benefits of the Internet and considering getting their first home computer.

7. iPod (2001) - It wasn't the first digital music player with a hard drive, but it was the first successful one. Apple's expansion into portable electronics has had vast ramifications. The iPod's success prepared the way for the iTunes music store and the iPhone.

8. iTunes store (2003) - Before the iTunes store, buying digital music was a hassle, making piracy the more popular option. The store simplified the process and brought together tracks from all the major labels. The store became the largest music retailer in the U.S. in 2008.

9. iPhone (2007) - The iPhone did for the phone experience what the Macintosh did for personal computing - it made the power of a smartphone easy to harness. Apple is now the world's most profitable maker of phones, and the influence of the is evident in all smartphones.

10. iPad (2010) - Dozens of companies, including , had created tablet computers before the iPad, but none caught on. The iPad finally cracked the code, creating a whole new category of computer practically by itself.

Explore further: Yahoo CEO to announce 'something special' in NYC

not rated yet
add to favorites email to friend print save as pdf

Related Stories

Macintosh software vet leaves 'post-PC era' Apple

Mar 23, 2011

A senior executive behind Macintosh computer software is leaving Apple as the culture-changing company rushes into a "post PC Era" in which iPads and iPhones supplant desktop computers.

Apple sets new operating systems for iPhone, Mac

Mar 28, 2011

Apple said Monday that it will unveil the next generation operating systems for the iPhone and the Macintosh computer at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June.

Apple's Jobs says iPad idea came before iPhone

Jun 02, 2010

(AP) -- Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs shared a secret with his audience at a technology conference outside Los Angeles Tuesday: The idea for the iPad came before the iPhone.

Recommended for you

Canada trying to lure Silicon Valley tech workers

May 17, 2013

(AP)—The Canadian government is trying to lure Silicon Valley tech workers who are frustrated by U.S. visa policies, just as Congress wrestles with a long-sought overhaul of America's immigration system.

Bloomberg appoints ex-IBM CEO as privacy adviser

May 17, 2013

(AP)—Bloomberg LP, the financial news and information service, on Friday said it has appointed Samuel Palmisano, the former CEO of IBM, as an independent adviser on its privacy and data standards.

Apple, US lawmakers in offshore tax showdown

May 17, 2013

Apple and US lawmakers are gearing up for a showdown over taxes—specifically how to deal with the huge stockpile of cash held by Apple and other multinational firms offshore.

Yahoo! sets event amid Tumblr talk

May 17, 2013

Yahoo! scheduled a news conference Monday amid reports it was in talks on with the popular blogging platform Tumblr about an acquisition or strategic alliance.

Tableau Software soars in trading debut

May 17, 2013

(AP)—Tableau Software shares soared in their trading debut Friday after the company and some of its investors raised about $254.2 million in its initial public offering.

User comments : 1

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

El_Nose
not rated yet Oct 07, 2011
No mention of the cash infusion that they accepted from MS to stay alive -- it was perhaps Jobs' best decision to accept the money and keep the company afloat

More news stories

Morocco to harness the wind in energy hunt

Morocco is ploughing ahead with a programme to boost wind energy production, particularly in the southern Tarfaya region, where Africa's largest wind farm is set to open in 2014.

Galaxy's Ring of Fire

Johnny Cash may have preferred this galaxy's burning ring of fire to the one he sang about falling into in his popular song. The "starburst ring" seen at center in red and yellow hues is not the product of ...