What Difference Does Steve Make?

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By Douglas MacMillan

What Difference Does Steve Make?

Since building one of the world's first personal computers in his father's garage, Steve Jobs has never paused in his quest to create great new things. Even when Jobs' star waned in the mid-1980s and Apple ousted him from the company he helped to create, he pounced on the chance to start anew. "It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life," Jobs said in a 2005 speech.

Four years later, on Jan. 14, 2009, health concerns prompted Jobs to announce that he would take a six-month leave of absence, fueling speculation about the direction of the company in his absence. What difference does Steve Jobs make to Apple? Here we take a look at the highs and occasional lows of his tenure.