How does one deal with such devastating news as Steve Jobs’ passing? I suppose we all had an inkling that he may go soon because of his illness, but it is always tough to hear about it regardless. Steve had such an influence on all of us in the electronics and computer fields, directly and indirectly. His vision, innovation, and dominating marketing success kept us all working harder to compete and keep up. He led not only Apple but the industry as well.

I think the real story here is how Jobs became such a leader in the consumer electronics fields and the cellular industry. How does a company make that leap from computers to cell phones and other consumer products? The first real indication of this was the sudden jump from personal computers to MP3 players in 2001 when the first iPod and iTunes appeared. It was truly a brilliant strategic move for Apple.

I suspect that the folks at Apple, led by Jobs, decided that they had saturated their computer business. PCs were a commodity and Apple’s chances of gaining more of the computer market share were low despite the creativity of the continuing line of Macs. Steve probably said the company should do something different and address the real consumer market—and voila’, the iPod, which was a success from the start. Many iterations later, the iPod is still the portable media player leader, and that success led to the cell phone.

The cell-phone business is a really different business and tough to enter. Only those with really big bucks need apply. I suspect that the iPhone was a real gamble for even for financially wealthy Apple, but I am sure the company thought it had a truly better product. At the time, the hottest phones and only smart phones were the Palm and the BlackBerry models.

The iPhone was first introduced in 2007 and became an instant hit. Its touchscreen technology was fresh and new, and the GUI with its great functionality was truly amazing. Apple used its core of creativity to the max and suddenly became one of the leading cell-phone manufacturers overnight. Totally amazing. The rest of the handset manufacturers must have collectively felt broadsided.

Again, Jobs and Apple were leading again. While most of the cellular companies are still catching up, many of them have cell phones that are on par with the iPhone, and then some. But Apple wasn’t done. The iPad hit last year and again the company enjoyed an instant success with tens of millions sold. The iPad is a real crossover between a laptop and a smart phone. It bridges the gap and gives Apple a strong hold on the consumer electronics market. It is Apple’s insurance for the future.

The new iPhone 4S was panned this week by many but I think it was the right product at this time. The real iPhone 5 is next, probably appearing around this time next year (see “The iPhone 4S: What’s In, What’s Not”). It will probably have Long-Term Evolution (LTE) compatibility, near-field communications (NFC), a screen bigger than 4 inches, and maybe even some innovative thing we haven’t thought of yet. But I bet Jobs thought of it before he died.

Apple and Jobs never followed the legendary marketing wisdom that has long persisted: “Find a need and fill it.” Apple never surveys its customers or others to find out what they want, need, or like. Instead, Apple tries to think up something truly new and different that people will like using. That approach has produced many innovative products that are considered “cool” not only to the loyal Apple base but to most consumers. Not everyone has the cachet to carry that off.

So was Jobs really a cell-phone pioneer? You bet. He set the agenda for a whole new direction in the cellular business and everyone else has followed. We have yet to see what he may have wrought for the future before leaving us. I’d also like to know who will lead the cell-phone effort next. Steve Jobs, we will really miss you.

Apple
www.apple.com