Archive Notice: This article is preserved as a historical reference. It was originally written in October 2012, one year after the passing of Steve Jobs.
It was a year ago today that the tech world mourned the passing of one of its brightest stars. Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs passed away after a long fought battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and we acknowledged his contribution as we remembered the iCon.
As we look back at the past year, we can't help but wonder how Apple fills that gaping void he left behind.
When he handed over Apple's reins as CEO, the company was in the best shape it had ever been. Valued at nearly $700 per share with a market cap exceeding $650 billion, the iPhone and iPad had risen to lead the post-PC era, propelling Apple to become the largest and most powerful tech company in the world.
He often spoke of Apple as being part of the essence of everyone who worked there, and you can see that in current CEO Tim Cook as the company continues to move forward. The success is evident with devices like the Apple iPhone 5, which sold over 5 million units in its opening week alone.
What Made Apple, Apple
There are two sides to Apple's success. One is in new and innovative products. The other is in their follow-up products, which always aim to push the boundaries of what came before. Throughout that success, Steve Jobs was at the helm of every major product presentation. From the iPod to the MacBook Air to the iPad, nobody introduced a product quite like he did. His charisma had even the most tech-savvy audiences staring wide-eyed, momentarily forgetting that the technology being demonstrated had often existed in some form for years. Jobs was a brilliant salesman, and that was always an integral part of what made Apple work. Apple has faced its share of criticism for releasing products that looked similar to their predecessors, but in each iteration the company pushed its own boundaries quietly and deliberately. The iPhone 5 and the MacBook Pro with Retina display are good examples of that. Neither could be matched by competitors as engineering achievements. Owning an Apple product gave users a sense of pride, and that feeling continued to fuel the company's momentum.The Question He Left Behind
Since Steve's passing, Apple had yet to announce an entirely new product category. The company continued to produce follow-up devices across its existing lineup, but nothing new had joined Apple's ranks. We knew Apple had projects running in its labs. We just didn't know how many would see the light of day. What we did know was that the company's passionate founder inspired many of those products right up until his final days. And you can't help but wonder whether one of them inspired his last words.His Last Words
"Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow."