In memoriam: Steve Jobs

Reema Sharma The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job. If someone is to define Steve Job, the above lines would be the most appropriate. After fourteen years of helming the iconic Apple Inc, Steve Jobs finally breathed his last on 5th October 2011. The career and life of Steve Jobs was nothing less than a Bollywood movie. Known as a doyen of the world of computing, this college dropout started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in the Jobs family garage in Silicon Valley in the late 1970s. Jobs, a Buddhist and a son of adoptive parents, soon introduced the Apple 1 computer. Although he didn’t taste much success, his Apple II became a runaway success followed by an IPO in 1980 that made him a multimillionaire. The sweet tale turned a little sour later with rival IBM launching its range of personal computers. Things became more serious when partner Wozniak got injured in a plane crash. And then the real twist of tales followed. Steve jobs convinced Pepsi-Cola’s head honcho John Sculley to join Apple. The same Sculley later threw Jobs out of Apple. Eventually Apple`s rags to riches story took a detour after Jobs’ ouster. It became even worse after the company delivered a slew of flops. Sculley was later ousted and much later Apple re-united with its former co-founder Steve Jobs. After his comeback, Jobs introduced the iPod portable music player, iPhone and ipad, thereby revolutionizing the entire computing and the cellular phone business. But a pall of gloom descended over Apple fans when in 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. His exit from Apple follows years of health struggles. The beauty of Steve Jobs lies in being a true visionary and his creative urge to push the boundaries of technology. Mourning the death of Steve Jobs arch rival and Microsoft boss Bill Gates said ,"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it`s been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely." "The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come," he said in statement, cited on the Wall Street Journal website. President Barack Obama said in a statement said, "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators -- brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it." Paying his tribute to the man who transformed the computer and entertainment industries, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you. For many Apple fans Steve Jobs will remain synonymous with Apple. Jobs was integral to Apple who drove the company single handedly. The sad demise of Steve Jobs marks the end of an era not only for Apple but for the entire IT industry.