Apple`s Steve Jobs Has Reshaped(重塑) the Tech World: 10 Ways He Did It
A new book is in the works that promises to shed(除掉, 使脱落, 使流出, 使清晰) more light on Apple. Dubbed(命名的, 配音的, 译制的) “iSteve: The Book of Jobs,” the book, which is written by Walter Isaacson, is an authorized biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. It’s scheduled to hit store shelves next year, and include some insight(洞察力, 见识,深刻的理解) from Jobs himself, as well as colleagues and family members. Exactly what the book will highlight is unknown for now. But considering it has been authorized by Jobs, it will likely highlight some of his greatest accomplishments(成就; 教养, 才艺; 成绩; 造诣) over the years. Steve Jobs is one of the more accomplished CEOs to ever work in the technology industry. He built a company from scratch(抓痕, 乱写,抓的声音, 起跑线) into a household(家喻户晓的名字或名称,家庭, 户)name and incidentally( 附带地; 不经意地; 偶然地; 顺便提一句)one of the greatest organizations in the history of American business. He also accomplished one of the rarest feats(壮举, 技艺表演, 功绩) in business, coming back to rebuild the company he created when it was struggling years after he lost a boardroom(会议室)power struggle. Then he led the company to its most successful and wealthiest years to date. To say that Jobs’ contribution to the technology space has been huge is an understatement(少说, 有保留地陈述, 轻描淡写). The sheer(完全的; 彻底的; 十足的)number of contributions he has made is nothing short of incredible. But the time has come to at least highlight some of those contributions, and discuss how he has changed the tech world forever. Read on to find out some—but not all—of the ways Steve Jobs has contributed his expertise to the tech world. 1. He co-founded Apple One of Steve Jobs’ greatest contributions to the tech world is creating Apple. Little did he know when he co-founded Apple that the company would become such an integral part of (具备构成整体所必需的所有部分的)the lives of millions around the globe. If he had instead chosen to follow a different path, the world would be a much different place today. It’s debatable whether technology would have moved as far along as it has. 2. Design as a key differentiator(微分器, 微分电路) Throughout his career, Steve Jobs has put a premium(高价的, 优质的,额外费用, 奖金, 保险费) on product design. He realizes that people are more likely to buy those things that catch their eye. He understood that the rest of the market didn’t necessarily have the eye for innovative design that he did. By using design to differentiate(区别, 产生差别, 区别对待)his products,Steve Jobs showed other companies in the industry (and perhaps some organizations outside of the tech sector) that aesthetic(美学的, 审美的, 有美感的) appeal(恳求；呼吁, 上诉, 吸引力)really does matter to both consumers and enterprise customers alike. 3. A policy of secrecy works Apple’s penchant(喜好(倾向)) for secrecy has helped the company become what it is today. Steve Jobs realizes that by not letting people see behind the curtain(窗帘, 门帘, 幕(布)), they will be more likely to stay focused on Apple’s every move. Better, that focus means that customers’ attention is less likely to stray(迷路, 偏离)to competitors promoting(晋升; 促进; 使升级; 发扬)their own similar products. Now, other firms, including Microsoft, Motorola, and Samsung are trying to follow Jobs’ lead and be more secretive. Going forward, many more firms will likely follow suit. 4. There really is money in hardware When Microsoft became a technology giant, some wondered if any other company would ever overcome it. People around the globe said that software was the dominant force in technology, and nothing would change that. But Steve Jobs has proven those people wrong. By delivering(递送, 发表（演讲）, 交付, 解救, 生（孩子）, 接生, 履行, 投掷)compelling(强制的, 令人注目的, 强迫性的)hardware, he has watched his firm’s market capitalization(资本化, 大写字母的使用) easily best Microsoft’s. Now, the market can’t help but wonder if hardware really reigns(统治, 支配) supreme(最高的, 至上的, 极度的)in today’s tech world. 5. The death of CDs When Apple first started as a computer company, few could have envisioned(想象, 设想)it revolutionizing the music business. But with the launch of the iPod and iTunes, it did just that. Steve Jobs saw an opportunity in digital content and he capitalized on it. By making iTunes so user friendly, he almost single-handedly ruined the market for CDs. The music industry is forever changed because of Steve Jobs. 6. Redefining smartphones Apple certainly wasn’t the first company to jump on the touch screen bandwagon(乐队花车, 宣传车,浪潮, 流行). But it’s indisputable(无可争辩的, 无可置疑的) that Steve Jobs was the first person to make touch screens appeal to(对 ... 产生吸引力)a mass audience, thanks to his company’s iPhone. That device, which launched in 2007, threw entrenched(根深蒂固的, (权力, 风俗等)确立的) competitors, including RIM, Nokia, and Microsoft, into a tailspin([航空]旋尾降落, （精神等）失控, （经济）不景气). And it prompted(促使; 怂恿; 激励; 引起, 激起)Google to try its luck in the smartphone space. Nowadays,if a smartphone doesn’t look and work like the iPhone, it will likely collect dust on store shelves. 7. Tablets can be a business model For years, Microsoft and its vendor partners were trying to make tablets catch on with the mainstream. But for the most part, those devices only really appealed to medical professionals and other niche(壁龛, 适当的位置, （特定产品或服务的）用户群) markets. With the launch of the iPad, all that has changed. In 2010 alone, Apple sold 15 million iPad units. Some analysts say more than 50 million tablets will ship around the world this year. With a single device, Steve Jobs once again revolutionized a market. 8. There’s an app for that When smartphones or tablets are being evaluated(评估, 赋值, 评价)nowadays, consumers and even enterprise customers examine how many applications are available for a respective(分别的, 各自的) platform. Steve Jobs saw an opportunity with mobile apps and he took advantage of it in 2008. Since then, billions of apps have been downloaded from his marketplace and every other company in the market has created its own store just to stay relevant. Mobile apps are the future—and Steve Jobs can be thanked for that. 9. A look towards the future Throughout the years, Steve Jobs has been willing to take chances. He doubled(加倍; 加倍努力; 快步走)down on the mouse when few others saw potential in it. He brought USB to Macs before it really caught on. He tried something new in the smartphone market while other companies were making significant cash on old ideas. Simply put(简单的说), Steve Jobs has the unique(独特的, 独一无二的, 稀罕的)ability to evaluate current technologies, determine what the future looks like and get behind something that few others have the vision(幻觉, 眼光, 洞察力, 想象力)to seize upon(抓住). In most cases, those risks have changed the tech space in a dramatic way. 10. Mac OS X Although much of the talk surrounding Steve Jobs’ contribution to the tech world revolves around hardware, it’s important not to lose sight of the importance of Mac OS X, the company’s operating system. Based on NeXTSTEP, the operating system used at Jobs’ NeXT company, Mac OS X has become one of the most impressive software platforms ever released. Although some disagree, it has also seemingly been an inspiration(灵感, 鼓舞人心(的东西), 吸气) for the latest releases in Microsoft’s Windows platform. Mac OS X still lags(落后期, 落后者, 罪犯, 前科犯) far behind in overall market share, but its innovative additions over the years, including most recently, the Mac App Store, have helped change consumer expectations of desktop operating systems. link:http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apples-Steve-Jobs-Has-Reshaped-the-Tech-World-10-Ways-He-Did-It-471820/
