Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Steve Jobs, the enigmatic and elusive chief executive of Apple, has died. He was 56.

His passing comes just one day after Apple unveiled its latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S. Tim Cook, the company's new CEO took the stage on Tuesday to unveil the phone and champion the many successes that Apple had accomplished under Jobs's tenure. Many of us hoped that the company's signature "one more thing" would be an appearance by Jobs, but we had to suffice with Cupertino's new product lineup, which Jobs no doubt had a hand in guiding.

Though Jobs suffered through various health setbacks in the past few years, he helped shape Apple into the powerhouse it is today. Few companies have people lined up around the block for their latest smartphone and hardware manufacturers would love even a fraction of Apple's iPad market share. Yesterday, Cook said that Apple has now sold 250 million iOS devices, all of which had to pass muster with the notoriously meticulous Jobs.

The Greatest Victories of Steve Jobs

The Apple I

In 1976, Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne launched the Apple I, which was sold for $666.66.

 1984 Mac Commercial

Although the Apple Macintosh was Apple's first big hit, this one-time iconic Super Bowl cemented Apple in the public consciousness. 

 Apple Macintosh

Already bolstered by the iconic "1984" ad, the Macintosh launched. With the Mac, the GUI was introduced to the mainstream market, and sales took off when the PageMaker desktop publishing software began selling

Steve Jobs Returns

In 1997, Apple had sunk into the dark years, with John Sculley, Michael Spindler, and Gil Amelio serving as chief executive. Flops like the Performa line sunk Apple's reputation. On July 9, 1997, Jobs returned as interim chief executive. 

The iMac

On Aug. 15, 1998, Apple launched a new all-in-on computer: the iMac. Led by Jonathan Ive, the hardware team designed a simple, sleek computer with an important element: fun. The candy-coated hues would soon be copied by the entire PC industry. 

The iPod

Until Oct. 23, 2001, Apple had always been thought of as a computer company. The iPod changed all that. It single-handedly destroyed competitors like Creative Technology, and made MP3 and AAC part of the lexicon. 

The iPhone

On Jan. 9, 2007, Apple and Jobs launched the iPhone, which took computing to the next level: mobile. While the phone might have been subpar, the iPhone's success was as an app platform, as it spawned an entire ecosystem.

The MacBook Air

In 2008, Jobs and Apple launched the MacBook Air, a Macbook whose form factor once again became the talk of the industry. Jobs' reveal - pulling it out of a manilla envelope - was magic. 

iTunes

In 2003, Apple announced iTunes, the first Web store for music. Suddenly, the CD was dead. Later, iTunes became the platform for apps as well, and electronic storefronts became the place to buy electronics goods. (As a piece of software, however, iTunes has met with less praise.)

Jobs Scolds Reporters

In summer 2010, Apple was buffeted by reports (including in PC Magazine) that the iPhone held in a "death grip" could interfere with its reception. Jobs called a press conference, announced a free "bumper" case to alleviate the problem, and took a few reporters to task in the process. Perhaps not the greatest public-relations move, but vintage Jobs. 

The iPad

Tablet PC? Oh, you mean that Microsoft thing? That was what a tablet was until Jan. 27, 2010, when Apple introduced the iPad. Once considered to be a gimmick, the iPad has sold millions of units and, again, launched an entire new computing segment.