Any surprise? Read this story for more details on the company and the man.
Just a quick recap for those playing at home:
Apple limped into 2000 after barely surviving extinction at the hands of poor management all through the 90s. But Steve's return and the iMac (1998) saved the company and paved the way for all future product launches that helped fix the company. In a nutshell, great marketing coupled with great design saved Apple.
Now just count what Steve has done in a decade:
- Turned Pixar (and countless characters) into a loved, respected family brand.
- Sold Pixar to Disney (one of his heros) and became largest single Disney shareholder
- Introduced iPod, revolutionized carrying all your music with you
- Introduced iTunes, figured out how to make money with music, now largest online store
- Introduced iPhone, changed the definition of smart phones
- Introduced mobile Apps, changed how software gets distributed
So Steve changed music, movies, phones, software and computers. Apple now touches all our lives. Apple was once a backwater player in computers and now has the world at it's fingertips.
Can't wait for 2010 and a renewal of books, radio, television, magazines, advertising and mobile devices. Happy new year everyone!