Macintosh
On December 12, 1980, the IPO (initial public offering) was scheduled for shares of the Apple stock. In just that one day, Steve Jobs' worth skyrocketed to $265 million. It was the largest IPO since Ford Motor, selling $1.2 billion.
After the great success of the Apple II, the company immediately started on new projects. One of these was the Macintosh. The team that worked on the Macintosh hoped to build a computer with new, groundbreaking technology and change the world of computers forever. The only problem was that the man in charge, Jef Raskin, was someone Steve considered a 'bozo'. Steve had many people he disliked. Often, he would label someone either 'brilliant' or a 'bozo' without giving them a chance to prove themselves.
To get Steve on their side, the Mac team convinced him to visit the Xerox company's Palo Alto Research Center, where he was inspired by a computer with graphics on its screen, called GUI (for graphical user interface). This new technology allowed users to point to a place on the screen with a mouse. Steve returned to Apple with a vision for the Mac: to recreate the GUI and mouse, only simpler and improved.
Jobs demanded that the circuit board had to be beautiful, with its chips in prefect alignment. When the others complained about the ridiculous precision requirements that no one would know about, he argued that he would know and brought up his dad's lessons from when he was young about every part being well made whether it showed or not.
When the Macintosh was finished, Steve had every member of the Macintosh team sign their names on a piece of paper. Everyone's signatures, including Steve's, was engraved into the inside casing of each Macintosh computer. The customers would not know that the signatures were there but the Mac team would.
In 1984, the Macintosh was ready to debut. Apple bought TV time to air a commercial for the Macintosh during halftime at the super bowl. Ridley Scott, a highly acclaimed director, was hired to film the commercial for $900,000. The finished ad was based off an old novel, 1984 by George Orwell. "On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984."
When this aired, all viewers were shocked and amazed. The commercial went on to win Best Super Bowl Spot, World Federation of Advertisers Hall of Fame Award, TV Guide Number One Greatest Commercial of All Time, Advertisement Age Greatest Commercial, Cleo Awards Hall of Fame, and the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Grand Prix.
After the great success of the Apple II, the company immediately started on new projects. One of these was the Macintosh. The team that worked on the Macintosh hoped to build a computer with new, groundbreaking technology and change the world of computers forever. The only problem was that the man in charge, Jef Raskin, was someone Steve considered a 'bozo'. Steve had many people he disliked. Often, he would label someone either 'brilliant' or a 'bozo' without giving them a chance to prove themselves.
To get Steve on their side, the Mac team convinced him to visit the Xerox company's Palo Alto Research Center, where he was inspired by a computer with graphics on its screen, called GUI (for graphical user interface). This new technology allowed users to point to a place on the screen with a mouse. Steve returned to Apple with a vision for the Mac: to recreate the GUI and mouse, only simpler and improved.
Jobs demanded that the circuit board had to be beautiful, with its chips in prefect alignment. When the others complained about the ridiculous precision requirements that no one would know about, he argued that he would know and brought up his dad's lessons from when he was young about every part being well made whether it showed or not.
When the Macintosh was finished, Steve had every member of the Macintosh team sign their names on a piece of paper. Everyone's signatures, including Steve's, was engraved into the inside casing of each Macintosh computer. The customers would not know that the signatures were there but the Mac team would.
In 1984, the Macintosh was ready to debut. Apple bought TV time to air a commercial for the Macintosh during halftime at the super bowl. Ridley Scott, a highly acclaimed director, was hired to film the commercial for $900,000. The finished ad was based off an old novel, 1984 by George Orwell. "On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984."
When this aired, all viewers were shocked and amazed. The commercial went on to win Best Super Bowl Spot, World Federation of Advertisers Hall of Fame Award, TV Guide Number One Greatest Commercial of All Time, Advertisement Age Greatest Commercial, Cleo Awards Hall of Fame, and the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Grand Prix.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/2/24220797/2013317.jpg?421)
January 24 rolled around a few days later. Flint Auditorium was filled with people. In the first five rows of the audience sat the Apple crew wearing Macintosh tshirts. Steve walks on stage and sets his case on a table. Slowly, he takes out the Macintosh and turned it on. Letters flew across the screen, spelling Macintosh. Then, MacWrite, MacDraw, and a chess game appear. Finally, the Mac starts to talk. "Hello, I am Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag. So it is with considerable pride that I introduce the man who's been like a father to me, Steve Jobs."
Dark Ages
John Sculley, made president of Apple in 1983 after Mike Scott left, did not get along with Steve Jobs. Sculley focused on profit while Jobs wanted quality of product. Steve felt bound and restricted by Sculley and Sculley found Steve disobliging. The two disagreed on many matters. When this issue was addressed by the board of directors, Steve was not favored. They told him he was not going to work on any project anymore. Sculley and the board dismissed all his ideas for new products. On September 17, 1985, Steve Jobs resigned from his spot in the company.
During Steve's absence, Apple suffers dramatically. They lose about $1.6 billion, having one of the biggest quarterly losses in Silicon Valley History. The stocks and sales were plummeting, talented people were leaving, and Apple was behind in technology. Sculley had left Apple and the new president was Gil Amelio. In December of 1996, Steve presented NeXTSTEP to Amelio. On the screen, he simultaneously showed four videos, proving that NeXT was still years ahead of its time.
On the 20th, Apple bought NeXT for $377.5 million and gave 1.5 million Apple shares to Steve. Steve could come back to the company as an informal advisor.
By June, Apple realized the need to fire Amelio and bring Steve back. First thing Steve did when he was back in Apple was to get the majority of the board of directors to resign because he felt that it was their fault the company had failed. One man Steve didn't want to offend was Apple's first investor, Mike Markkula. When asked to resign, Markkula was not taken aback and kindly stepped down.
That August, Steve had gotten Microsoft to invest $150 million in Apple. This would save the company.
During Steve's absence, Apple suffers dramatically. They lose about $1.6 billion, having one of the biggest quarterly losses in Silicon Valley History. The stocks and sales were plummeting, talented people were leaving, and Apple was behind in technology. Sculley had left Apple and the new president was Gil Amelio. In December of 1996, Steve presented NeXTSTEP to Amelio. On the screen, he simultaneously showed four videos, proving that NeXT was still years ahead of its time.
On the 20th, Apple bought NeXT for $377.5 million and gave 1.5 million Apple shares to Steve. Steve could come back to the company as an informal advisor.
By June, Apple realized the need to fire Amelio and bring Steve back. First thing Steve did when he was back in Apple was to get the majority of the board of directors to resign because he felt that it was their fault the company had failed. One man Steve didn't want to offend was Apple's first investor, Mike Markkula. When asked to resign, Markkula was not taken aback and kindly stepped down.
That August, Steve had gotten Microsoft to invest $150 million in Apple. This would save the company.
iMac
Jonathan "Jony" Ive was one interviewee would stood out to Jobs in particular. A design consultant noted, "I think Steve Jobs has found somebody in Jony who knows how to complete or even exceed his vision, and do it time and time again."
The two worked together with the rest of the Apple team on their new project, the iMac. It would be the first computer to have ports for USBs, have a sleek mouse, and a detachable keyboard. The design of the computer would also be exceptional, with wires all emerging from one opening and an approachable look.
The two worked together with the rest of the Apple team on their new project, the iMac. It would be the first computer to have ports for USBs, have a sleek mouse, and a detachable keyboard. The design of the computer would also be exceptional, with wires all emerging from one opening and an approachable look.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/2/24220797/1904765.jpg?314)
The iMac debuted in 1998 on the same stage the Macintosh had been introduced on. Upon presentation, the screen displayed the words "Hello (again)". Steve explained that the "i" in "iMac" stood for Internet, individual, instruct, inform, and inspire. This time, the product was priced at $1299.
In its first three weeks of sale, 278,000 iMacs were sold. "In the first 139 days, an iMac was sold every fifteen seconds of every minute of every hour of every day of every week," announced Steve at the Macworld Expo in January, 1999. This made the iMac Apple's bestselling computer so far.
In its first three weeks of sale, 278,000 iMacs were sold. "In the first 139 days, an iMac was sold every fifteen seconds of every minute of every hour of every day of every week," announced Steve at the Macworld Expo in January, 1999. This made the iMac Apple's bestselling computer so far.
Lee Clow, a friend of Steve's, gave Apple the idea of an ad about nonconformity, individuality, and spirit. The finished commercial did not show a single apple product, just videos of Steve's heroes, including Einstein, Picasso, and Gandhi. It was voiced-over by Richard Dreyfuss with moving words about the people who are different. On the last screen, a the words "Think Different" appear below the Apple logo.