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Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Steve Jobs
Can he make it two years at number one?

By silicon.com

Published: Wednesday 22 September 2004

With less than a week left until the launch of silicon.com's fifth annual Agenda Setters poll of tech's 50 most influential individuals, we're looking back at those people who held top 10 positions in 2003. Today we take on the man who topped the list, Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

While no one can claim Apple is the world's biggest hardware or software company, Steve Jobs has proved he's could be in the running for the title of Agenda Setter this year.

It's certainly been a busy year for the Apple CEO with Cupertino launching its latest desktop, lifting the lid on the new Mac OS (known as Tiger) and cementing its position as online music leader.

The Tiger OS has been released to Mac developers so they can get cracking with application writing, amid boasts of better security, usability and undeniably better time-keeping than the rivals over at Redmond.

Jobs knows what side his bread is buttered - playing Robin Hood to Gates' Sheriff of Nottingham - and he's certainly had a good stab at winding up Microsoft, with posters advertising the unveiling of Tiger laden with Gates-baiting slogans including "Redmond, start your photocopiers."

Wooing the Mac devotees with anti-Microsoft campaigns is roughly as difficult as shooting fish in a barrel. Jobs has now set his sights on charming the rest of the spending public - with a strategy that might just work.

Apple is now no longer 'the company that makes Macs', it's changed tack and reappeared as 'the company that brought you the iPod'.

When the new iMac debuted in Paris in early September, not only was it apparent that the desktop had taken a new direction with an all-in-one format and greater consumer focus but the Apple folk had worked out how to lure tech buyers Macwards - use the iPod as a hook, with ads making the point 'we made the iPod and look, our desktops are just as cool'.

They may be on to something.

Apple's music debut proper in Europe - the iPod mini and iTunes both appeared this year - was met with slavering consumers and products putting hot cakes to shame.

While Jobs has recently taken some well-deserved time off to recover from cancer, the Apple juggernaut has continued apace and with a whirlwind of activity behind it, Jobs looks to be vying with Gates to become a stalwart of the Agenda Setters top ten.

The only question is: can he make it to number one again?

silicon.com's Agenda Setters panel, made up again of CIOs, analysts, VCs, consultants, lawyers, academics and other experts, will be convening this September at our London offices with our results revealed at the end of that month. If you want to pass on your comments for our experts, about Steve Jobs or any other contender, drop us an email at editorial@silicon.com.