彭博商业周刊,《乔布斯的一生》全英文

SteveJobs:TheBeginning,1955-1985ThehighschoollonerwhofiguredoutwhattheworldwantedfromtechnologyNormanSeeffThevideoiscloseto35yearsoldandthepictureisn’tgreat,butit’sobviousSteveJobsisnervous.Hewon’tsitstill.Asthemakeupandsoundguysinthetelevisionstudiodothefinalpreparationsbeforethecamerasgoon,there’sthelong-hairednerd—hemustbe23,24—swivelingaroundinhischair,wearingajacketandtieandapairofsquarewire-frameglasses.Hehasn’tdonemuchmedia,that’scleartothetalenthandlers,whotrytogethimtorelaxalittlewithsmalltalk.Jobsisn’tpayingattention.“God!Lookatthat!”hesays,squintingatamonitorandrunninghishandthroughhishair,whichlookswashedforachange.“Look,I’montelevision!”“You’reonTVinNewYork,too,”saysoneofthehandlers.ThisstudioisprobablyinSanFrancisco,thoughtheparticularsarelosttohistory.“No,no.”Jobsleansforward,andwatchesanotherstudiopersonbrushhissleeve.“AmIreally?Areyouserious?God!IwasjustinNewYorklastweek!”Moreswivelsandsmalltalk.Jobslooksupatthelights,hand-combshishairagain,andtellsthepeoplefussingaroundhimthathe’sreadytothrowup.“I’mnotjoking,”hesays.Sipofwater.Aproducerannounceshe’sreadytoroll.Jobsswivels.Forcedsmile.Handthroughhair.“God!”KnowingwhatSteveJobswouldbecome,it’sendearingtowatchhimbabblewithstagefright.Hehadalreadystartedatinycompanythatisdrawingcrowdsofhobbyistsatcomputerfairs,buthe’sdecadesawayfromtheshowmanwhoseproductunveilingswillbecomeculturalmilestones.Themusicbusinessnowcomesintwoeras:pre-iPodandpost-iPod[footnote1].SamewithmobileandtheiPhone,andifhistoryholds,theiPadwillmarkanepochalsplitinpersonalcomputing.Jobswouldclaimthatheneverinventedthosethings;hediscoveredthem.Theywerealwaysthere,someonejustneededto“connectthedots,”toputthepartstogetherintoawholenooneelseseemedtosee.ThevideofuzzesoutandcutsbeforetheinterviewwiththeanchorinNewYork.Jobsprobablydidfine.Eventhen,heseemedabletoconvinceanyoneofanything.Ifcharmdidn’twork,he’dthreaten,weep,whateverworked.Theengineersandlocalhighschoolkidshe’dtalkedintoworkingforhimcouldattesttothat.Theforceofwill,theuncompromisingaesthetic,themeanstreak—healreadyhadareputationinSiliconValley.Butotherpeoplehadthosetraits.Connectingthedotsintoapersonathatcancreatea$350billionempireoutoftechnologicaldesirestheworldneverknewithad—thatrequiredsomethingexceptional.JobswasbornFeb.24,1955,inSanFranciscotoapairofunwedgraduatestudents,JoanneCaroleSchiebleandaSyrianimmigrantnamedAbdulfattahJandali.Theyputhimupforadoptionwhenhewasaninfant,andhewastakeninbyClaraandPaulJobs,whoraisedtheirsoninaranchhouseonCristDriveinLosAltos,aboutthreemilesfromwhereApple(AAPL)eventuallywouldputitsheadquarters.YoungStevewasn’teasy.Hestuckabobbypinintoawalloutletandhadtobetakentoahospitalaftertastingantpoison.Whenhewasoldenoughtogotoschool,histeachers—theoneswhoboredhim,anyway—foundhimobnoxiousanddisruptive,whenhewasn’tinattentive.Intheclassroom,he’dsetofflittlebombsandletloosesnakes.“Iwasprettyboredinschool,”hetoldPlayboyin1985,“andIturnedintoalittleterror.”Hisclassmatesmostlythoughthewas“reallystrange,”asMarkWozniak,theyoungerbrotherofhisfuturepartnerSteveWozniak,onceputit.Jobshimselfwouldlatertellaninterviewer,“Iwasn’tajock.Iwasalonerforthemostpart.”Onefoggyday,agymteacherhadtheclassdolapsonatrack.WhenJobsreachedthefarend,obscuredfromtheteacher’sviewbythefog,hesatdownandwatchedhisclassmatespuffby.Herejoinedthepackthenextlap.“Hehadfiguredouthowhecouldgetawaywithhalftheworkandstillgetcreditforthewholething,”aclassmate,BruceCourture,toldJeffreyS.Younginthe1988JobsbiographyTheJourneyIstheReward.Jobswasn’tlazy.Hewantedtoabsorbasmuchoftheworldaspossible.Buthewaschoosy,andonethinghechosewaselectronics.SiliconValleywasbuzzingwithpromiseinthe1960s.Lockheedwasdoingmoon-shotwork,Hewlett-Packardwasalreadyageekparadise.Engineerswereallovertheplace.WorkshopssproutedingaragesupanddownCristDrive,andthegarageofPaulJobs,amachinist,wasnoexception.HekeptaspotlessworkbenchandclearedaspaceforStevetotinker.“Itwasreallythemostwonderfulplaceintheworldtogrowup,”JobstoldaSmithsonianInstitutionhistorianin1995.ForasmartkidintheValley,electronics,especiallycomputerelectronics,wasmorethanacareerchoice.Inthosedays,hesaid,“Thebestpeopleincomputerswouldhavenormallybeenpoetsandwritersandmusicians. … Theywentintocomputersbecauseitwassocompelling.Itwasfreshandnew.Itwasanewmediumofexpressionfortheircreativetalents.”WhenJobswasaround12,aneighborshowedhimsomeelectronicstricks,suchasamicrophonethatworkedwithoutanamplifier.TheguywasahamradiooperatoraswellasanemployeeofHewlett-Packard[footnote2],andJobsidolizedthatcompanyanditsfounders.OnedayhecalledWilliamHewletthimself,aboutsomepartsforafrequencycounterhewastryingtobuild.Hewlettmusthavebeenimpressedoratleastamused,becausehestayedonthephonefor20minutes.Jobsgotthepartsheneeded—and,afewyearslater,asummergigatHP.Jobsdidn’tlovejustelectronics.HereadalotofShakespeare,listenedtoalotofDylan.ThiswasCaliforniainthe1970s,withalltheexplorationsofselfimpliedbythatdecadeandplace.Byhighschoolhewasexperimentingonhimself.Curiousaboutthemind-expandingpossibilitiesofsleepdeprivation,he’dstayupacoupleofnigh