Doug Menuez 

When Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple he decided to act on his dream of creating a powerful computer for education. He gathered the best and brightest around him and began a classic technology start-up with his own seed money called NeXT, Inc. Very soon he attracted Ross Perot who had his own education agenda and who after an intense lunch presentation in the factory-to-be invested $20 million dollars. He later said it was the worst mistake he ever made.

After three years of exhausting, almost super-human development by his small team of a new computer for education, Steve Jobs rallies the troops on the evening before the launch of the NeXT computer, Redwood City, California, 1988.

Chuck Geshke, seated, and John Warnock left Xerox Parc to found Adobe in 1982, and after 20 years of man hours completed PostScript, the software that allows computers to print high quality type, thus completing the biggest advance in printing since Guttenberg invented movable type in 1436. Seen here in 1988, they were confidently readying the launch of Photoshop, another revolutionary program that would utterly transform photography and graphic arts.

Producer Michael Witlin hits the floor in exasperation, while Apple PR colleague Tricia Chan calls an engineer during a bug-ridden rehearsal for an Apple Newton press demo. With over 60 members of the press outside knocking in frustration for entry, someone on the team innocently hit the send button on the demo set up on the stage which immediately crashed it, ruining the demo. NEXT PAGE: Apple speachwriter CJ Maupin hugs a frazzled Chan after the press left. Tricia had calmly pulled the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reporters into a side room with the lead engineer who was able to adequately demonstrate the product. The papers’ stories were both positive and Apple stock went up 3 points. Las Vegas, 1992.

Apple CEO John Sculley, who overcame stuttering and intense shyness to run Pepsi, then Apple, here leads the press on a tour of the Macintosh factory while introducing the first low-cost Macs, including the Classic and LC. Reaction was very positive on Wall Street. Fremont, California, 1990.

Apple programmer Sarah Clark delivers a message to the Newton War Room. Clark often brings her newborn baby to work. Her office has curtains over the glass so colleagues know when it’s nap time. Cupertino 1993.

Bill Gates debates with reporters about the long delayed “vaporware” upgrade to Windows at the Agenda ‘92 Conference, attended by 300 or so high-tech industry CEO’s and hosted by the irreverant tech pundit Stuart Alsop, who showed Gates no mercy. Laguna Niguel, California, 1992.

Lead software engineer Steve Capps takes a break from programming and lays a jaminator, the toy he invented that enables its user to play perfect solos along with rock-and-roll hits such as The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up". May 1993.

Michael Tchao and his marketing colleagues Nazila Alasti and Susan Schuman test Newtons prior to a CeBIT press briefing. Tchao brought ten working Alpha units. Seven are still working. March 1993.

Samir Aurora, CEO of NetObjects, at right in soft focus, is exhorting his team to greater efforts in their attempt to “own” the web design software space. They almost made it, engineering a last minute investment from IBM, but their elegant software was too late to market and the company folded. Their IPO in March, 1999, was proclaimed by CNN to be the first internet start up offering to close at a lower share price then its opening price, heralding the beginning of the end of the dot com boom. New employees were all required to wear balloon hats at staff meetings. Redwood City, California, 1999.