❌

Normal view

Tim Cook Reflects on Joining Apple and Steve Jobs

In an August 2024 letter published by The Steve Jobs Archive today, Tim Cook reflected on joining Apple and what he learned from working with Steve Jobs.


Jobs convinced Cook to join Apple in 1998, to help turn around the company:
I'll never forget that first conversation with Steve. At the time, Apple had been struggling and Steve was working to right a ship that had drifted in his absence. Many people doubted the company could survive, and I was warned that accepting a job there would come with risks. But when Steve spoke, any trepidation I harbored instantly dissolved. I had never met someone with so much passion and vision. He spoke with charisma and clarityβ€”about a future where technology could unlock a wellspring of human creativity and potential, connecting us and uplifting us in ways even he had yet to imagine.
Cook said joining Apple was the best decision he ever made:
In Steve, I found an incredible mentor who inspired me to grow and challenge myself in new and important ways. And in joining Apple, I traded a job for a purpose, one that still drives me to this very day. It truly was the greatest decision I've ever made.
The Steve Jobs Archive shared letters from many additional influential leaders today, including Apple's former design chief Jony Ive, Disney CEO Bob Iger, famous designer Dieter Rams, and others. The letters had previously only been shared with The Steve Jobs Archive fellows. There is also a new introductory letter from Laurene Powell Jobs.

The Steve Jobs Archive released the letters on what would have been Jobs' 71st birthday. They are available on the web and in the Apple Books app for free.

The Steve Jobs Archive was launched by Jobs' friends and family in 2022. The website features a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators looking to follow in his footsteps.
This article, "Tim Cook Reflects on Joining Apple and Steve Jobs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Steve Jobs Would Have Celebrated His 71st Birthday Today

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, so today would have marked his 71st birthday if he hadn't passed away in 2011 at the age of 56.


In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer Company to market Wozniak's Apple I, a pioneering personal computer. Their collaboration led to the introduction of the Apple II in 1977, which significantly influenced the personal computing industry.

In 1984, Apple launched the Macintosh, notable for its graphical user interface and the iconic "1984" Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. However, internal conflicts led to Jobs' departure from Apple in 1985. He then founded NeXT Inc., focusing on advanced computer platforms.

In 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to the company as interim CEO. Under his leadership, Apple revitalized its product line and introduced groundbreaking products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. Apple Computer Company was renamed Apple Inc. in 2007 as the company expanded its focus from computers to consumer electronics.

Jobs remained at the helm until his death in 2011, during which time Apple transformed into one of the world's leading technology companies.

As expected, Apple CEO Tim Cook has shared his thoughts about Steve on X (Twitter):

Steve was an incredible leader, innovator, and friend whose world-changing ideas moved all of us forward.

Celebrating his remarkable life and legacy today, on his birthday. pic.twitter.com/ajHO2aVVlT

β€” Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 24, 2026


We miss you, Steve!
This article, "Steve Jobs Would Have Celebrated His 71st Birthday Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Check Signed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Sells for 4,800Γ— Its Original Value

RR Auction has announced that an Apple check signed by the company's co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak fetched a whopping $2.4 million at auction this week. The check was for $500, meaning that it sold for 4,800Γ— its original value.


According to RR Auction, the $500 check was issued to printed circuit board designer Howard Cantin, shortly after Jobs and Wozniak opened Apple's first bank account. Cantin was responsible for translating Wozniak's Apple-1 schematic into a manufacturable printed circuit board, leading to Apple's first commercial product.

Dated March 16, 1976, the Wells Fargo check is marked "No. 1." It was issued a few weeks before Apple Computer was officially founded on April 1, 1976.

β€œThis is the most important financial document in Apple history," said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction. "It captures Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak's first true business transaction, and the final result shows that collectors recognized its significance above any other Apple material ever brought to market."
This article, "Apple Check Signed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Sells for 4,800Γ— Its Original Value" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Steve Jobs Talks Pixar in 'Never-Before-Seen' Interview as 'Toy Story' Turns 30

Just ahead of the 30th anniversary of Toy Story, The Steve Jobs Archive has shared a "never-before-seen" video of Steve Jobs discussing Pixar.


The interview is from November 22, 1996 β€”Β exactly one year after Toy Story debuted in theaters, as the world's first entirely computer-animated feature-length film. In the video, Jobs reflects on Pixar's early success, business model, and more.

For those unaware, Pixar was born after Jobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, and spun it into an independent company. He remained Pixar's majority shareholder until the company was sold to Disney in 2006.


Fun fact: Jobs appears in Toy Story's opening credits.

The Steve Jobs Archive was launched in 2022 by Laurene Powell Jobs, Tim Cook, and Jony Ive. The website features a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators looking to follow in his footsteps.
This article, "Steve Jobs Talks Pixar in 'Never-Before-Seen' Interview as 'Toy Story' Turns 30" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Steve Jobs to Be Featured on U.S. Commemorative $1 Coin in 2026

The United States Mint will soon begin producing a new $1 American Innovation Coin featuring Steve Jobs, and the design for the coin was previewed today.


The $1 Steve Jobs Coin features a young Steve Jobs in a turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers. The coin is inscribed with the words "make something wonderful." A full description is available on the U.S. Mint website:
This design presents a young Steve Jobs sitting in front of a quintessentially northern California landscape of oak-covered rolling hills. His posture and expression, as he is captured in a moment of reflection, show how this environment inspired his vision to transform complex technology into something as intuitive and organic as nature itself. Inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "CALIFORNIA." Additional inscriptions are "STEVE JOBS" and "MAKE SOMETHING WONDERFUL."

When it launches in 2026, the Steve Jobs coin will be purchasable from the U.S. Mint website. The collectible coins will be available for $13.25, or in a set of four (including three featuring other innovators/innovations) for $27.50. Rolls of 25 coins and bags of 100 coins are also available.

The Steve Jobs coin is part of a multi-year series that started in 2018. Each state is able to nominate an American innovation or pioneering effort for memorialization in a collectible coin.

California Governor Gavin Newsom recommended Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for the coin earlier this year. Newsom said that Jobs' willingness to try new ideas and push the boundaries of what's possible embodied the California spirit.

(Thanks, Elery!)
This article, "Steve Jobs to Be Featured on U.S. Commemorative $1 Coin in 2026" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Remembering Steve Jobs

Today marks the 14th anniversary of Steve Jobs passing away, at the age of 56. He died just one day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S and Siri.


Apple CEO Tim Cook has once again paid tribute to Jobs.

"Steve saw the future as a bright and boundless place, lit the path forward, and inspired us to follow," said Cook, in a post today. "We miss you, my friend."

Cook also reflected on Jobs while opening Apple's first-ever event at Steve Jobs Theater in 2017.

"There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," he said then.


At that event, Apple unveiled the iPhone X, which was a major update to the smartphone that Jobs had famously unveiled in 2007.

The Steve Jobs Archive website contains a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators to follow in his footsteps. In addition, Apple still has a "Remembering Steve" page on its website with condolences shared by customers around the world following his death in 2011.
This article, "Remembering Steve Jobs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

❌