While we all knew it was going to happen eventually, the Apple community received a shock to the system on Wednesday with the resignation of CEO Steve Jobs, effective immediately. Journey with us now as we take a trip down memory lane, looking back at the 10 moments we'll always remember.
The internet virtually exploded on Wednesday afternoon with the announcement that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has tendered his resignation, effective immediately, and will be replaced by Tim Cook, who many have believed would be pulled up the ranks to lead the first wave of the post-Jobs era. That day has arrived, and it's tugging at all of our heart strings in a bittersweet symphony as we reflect on the man, the myth and the legend that is Steve Jobs.
Without further ado, here's a look at the 10 Steve Jobs moments we'll always remember.
1976: Growing An Apple
It's hard to imagine how the world would look today if Steve Jobs hadn't partnered with co-founders Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to start producing Apple computers out of that legendary garage. By the summer of 1977, the company was producing the Apple II, which virtually overnight ushered in the era of personal computing. And who could ever forget Jobs' fateful decision to name the company after The Beatles' Apple Corps -- a decision which would (briefly) come back to haunt him years later.
1983: The Dating Game
"Apple versus Microsoft" is so ingrained in our minds now that we can scarcely remember a time when Steve Jobs and Bill Gates could actually joke around and have some fun together. But that's just what they did at a rare Apple event in 1983, when Jobs put on a bizarre version of The Dating Game television show with three CEOs each vying for his company's affections. One of those was none other than Bill Gates! So who did Jobs choose? Playing no favorites, he chose all three.
1984: Super Bowl Macintosh
If the Apple II was a ripple through the tech community, the introduction of the original Macintosh in 1984 was a full fledged earthquake. Ridley Scott directed the now legendary "1984" television commercial, which aired only once during Super Bowl XVIII -- presenting Microsoft as an Orwellian "big brother" that the people must rise up against. Sure, Jobs didn't come up with this all by himself -- but his legacy with Apple was cemented in one fell swoop of a sledgehammer.
1985: Jobs' NeXT… Job
Steve Jobs didn't walk out of Apple Computer empty-handed after being ousted -- several bright minds left with him, and thanks to a bunch of dough from Texas moneyman Ross Perot, NeXT was born. But it was a rough ride, with only 50,000 systems sold before Jobs finally pulled the plug on the hardware in 1993. Little did anyone know that just a few years later, the NeXTSTEP operating system would get a new lease on life -- with a familiar old name.
1986: Saving Pixar
When Star Wars creator George Lucas needed some quick cash to divorce his wife, he cut loose The Graphics Group, the computer graphics company that would soon become Pixar. Who did he sell it to? Why, Steve Jobs, of course. While it would take nearly a decade for Pixar to produce a full-length feature, the debut of Toy Story cemented Steve Jobs' legacy in the movie business, eventually leading the maverick to sell Pixar to Disney in 2006, where he currently remains the company's largest stockholder.
1996: Return of the King
After 11 years in exile from Apple Computer, Steve Jobs made a triumphant return to the company he helped build as part of the $429 million NeXT purchase. It didn't take long for Jobs to make his mark -- again -- as "interim" chief executive in September, 1997, a title that continued to stick until 2000, when he officially became the CEO. Among the bodies that piled up after his return: Mac clones and the Newton.
1997: Courting Microsoft, Attacking Dell
Having the courage to stand up in front of the Apple faithful in 1997 with Bill Gates' smirking face bigger than life behind him, announcing that Microsoft was going to (temporarily) help save Apple -- that's a Steve Jobs moment to remember if ever there was one. But Steve Jobs also went on the offensive that year, criticizing Dell and specifically CEO Michael Dell for making "un-innovative beige boxes." Dell famously struck back by claiming that he'd shut down the then-troubled Apple "and give the money back to the shareholders" -- words that would soon come back to bite him in the backside less than a decade later, as Apple's market cap soared past Dell and kept going. Jobs celebrated with a humorous email to his employees, claiming "Michael Dell wasn't perfect at predicting the future." That's an understatement!
2001: What's An iPod?
Released to stores less than two months after terrorists took down the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, the original 5GB iPod was classic Steve Jobs snake oil -- a chunky, overpriced hard drive wrapped in a sleek package that promised 1,000 songs in the palm of your hand. Few could imagine the impact that a seemingly modest MP3 player would have on the world, but once again Jobs' visionary mind could see the road ahead when others could not.
2007: Look Who's Calling
Perhaps more than any other Steve-note, the January 9, 2007 Macworld Expo was like a shotgun blast to the face as Jobs took the stage to announce the long rumored iPhone. It was a major turning point for the company and the beginning of the longest six months in many of our memories waiting for the device to finally arrive in stores. Jobs promised that Apple was going to "reinvent the phone" -- and truer words were never spoken. And who can forget Jobs prank calling a local Starbucks and ordered 4,000 lattes to go? Good times, those.
2009: Steve Jobs, Organ Donor Recipient
Steve Jobs first announced his pancreatic cancer in 2004, which was followed by a couple medical leaves to regain his health. But it was Jobs' surprise appearance at the September 9, 2009 music-centric media event where the CEO spoke publicly about his liver transplant surgery, making a call for everyone to consider being an organ donor and thanking the Apple community for their support.
Of course, it's impossible to distill a man's life into a list of only 10 events, and here's hoping Steve Jobs will give us a few more to remember in the future -- even without the CEO label.
Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
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