CBC Digital Archives

Steve Jobs' computing career

On Jan. 24, 1984, a new computer company called Apple shook up the world of personal computers with the introduction of the Macintosh. A small but innovative machine, the first personal computer sold with the handy "mouse," the Macintosh was an instant hit, cementing Apple's place in the hyper-competitive personal computer market and the history of the home computing. Twenty-five years after the release of the Macintosh, the CBC Digital Archives brings you a brief look back on the early days of Apple and the Macintosh.

In 1976, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers, and his energy and inventiveness helped transform the world of personal computers and turn his upstart company into a major player. In 1985, he was forced out of his own company. Just three years later, Jobs is making a splash with his new company and new computer and CBC-Radio's Quirks & Quarks talks with Wall Street Journal reporter Brenton Schlender to learn more about the short but eventful career of computer wunderkind Steve Jobs.
• In 1983, then-Apple chairman Steve Jobs actively recruited Pepsi vice-president and marketing manager John Sculley, asking him, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water to children, or do you want a chance to change the world?" Sculley came to Apple where he and Jobs became fast friends, but a power struggle developed between the two, which culminated in Jobs' resignation from the company in September 1985. • Jobs founded his computer company NeXT in 1985, the same year he left Apple. The company produced workstations and software until 1996, when Apple bought the company for US $429 million. The acquisition also brought Jobs back to Apple, where he became CEO.

• Steve Jobs, and Apple shareholders in general, were the victim of a "citizen journalism" hoax in October 2008, when a blogger posted a story on CNN's iReport website, reporting that Jobs had suffered a heart attack. Apple stock plummeted 10 per cent within minutes, hitting a 17-month low.

• Steve Jobs died October 5, 2011.

Medium: Radio
Program: Quirks & Quarks
Broadcast Date: Oct. 15, 1988
Guest(s): Steve Jobs, Brenton Schlender
Host: Jay Ingram
Duration: 5:45
Photo: Canadian Press.

Last updated: February 8, 2012

Page consulted on March 28, 2013

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