Apple co-founder and visionary CEO Steve Jobs passed away three years ago today, at the age of 56.
In addition to co-creating the company with Steve Wozniak in 1976, Jobs personally oversaw the creation of the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes and OS X — as well as funding Pixar during its rise to prominence.
While there are plenty of great videos featuring Jobs to mark the occcasion (anyone with the slightest bit of interest in working in tech should make a point of viewing all of his Apple keynotes) the below is one of my personal favorites. It features Jobs, less than three months into his 1997 return, talking at an internal meeting about his vision for taking the company forward.
It’s a version of Jobs in mid-transition between the upstart Steve of the NeXT Computer days and the black turtlenecked, Levis-wearing digital emperor Jobs of the Apple return.
In the video, he describes his desire to take Apple back to its roots, and explains the idea behind the “Think Different” campaign that would become iconic.
Understandably a lot has changed about Apple in the near-20 years since this video was shot. We’ve seen the arrival of the iOS platform and devices, the Mac as digital hub has come and gone, and Apple is (largely thanks to Steve Jobs) in a totally different position to the slept-on brand it was when he made his triumphant return as CEO.
But the things he talks about here: the simplicity of good product lines, the desire for Apple to be more than “just” a specs-oriented technology brand, are still very much at the core of the Apple experience today.
It’s also another great chance to be reminded of just what a fantastic and emotive speaker Apple’s co-founder was.
Check it out:
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
9 responses to “Celebrate Steve Jobs’ life with this amazing video from 1997”
Asshole and Genius – exactly what Apple needed. When he got ill though, he truly connected with the important things in life. RIP.
I remember the day I heard of his passing, that is because it was on my birthday. Not only was he a father of 4 children but a father to the innovation of technology. He will never be forgotten!
Still miss him
Because of Steve, I was able to start my graphic design business that has become an international company. Because of Steve, I met the girl who has been my wife for 24 years. She sold me my first keyboard and software for my Mac. Steve utterly changed the course of my life, and for that I am very thankful.
That was a very fast three years.
Rest peacefully, Steve. The place just isn’t the same without ya ….
I never thought I’d ever see Steve Jobs in jorts.
Genius. Marketing and otherwise!
Steve really built solid CEO skills while running Next and Pixar, developing a new kind of corporate culture. His ability to negotiate with important people and organizations had come of age when he acquired the rights that were necessary to launch Apple’s “Think different” ad campaign. He was great at negotiating with Disney for distributing the first pixar movie, Toy Story. Getting forced out of Apple for a time was good for Steve in the long run.
Yes we all love Steve, even with his deficits. I hope others will look at a man that I’ve come to admire, “Simon Sinek” somebody all companies need to follow. And of course he uses Apple as one of his examples.