10 Reasons Why Steve Jobs Earned ‘Person Of The Year’

6. Changing the PC landscape

There is little debating that Microsoft will reign supreme in the computing operating system market for at least several more years. But in 2010, the industry watched as Steve Jobs did his part to change things. With the help of the iPad, Apple significantly hurt sales of netbooks and lightweight notebooks. It also caused top PC vendors, like HP and Acer, to look elsewhere for their OS needs in the tablet space. That’s important to keep in mind. It’s something that few other CEOs could achieve.

7. iPhone 4 antenna handling

When Apple offered the iPhone 4 and reports started swirling that it suffered from antenna issues, the company was admittedly slow to come around. At first, it wouldn’t even take responsibility but Steve Jobs eventually realised that he needed to act. And when he did, he made a compelling case, showing that the iPhone 4 wasn’t alone in losing signal strength when held in a certain way. He also tried to make it right by offering a free case. Was it the best solution? No, but it certainly worked to assuage consumer fears.

8. Continuing to make iPods relevant

One of Jobs’ most notable feats in 2010 was his ability to continue keeping iPods relevant in a market that they have saturated. It’s even more impressive when one considers that the iPod is facing stiff competition from other Apple products, like the iPhone and iPad. This year, Jobs unveiled a new iPod Shuffle, an improved iPod Nano, and compelling iPod Touch. Along the way, he kept sales strong across all of those products.

9. Competing with Google

Google has taken over most of the industries it competes in. The company is the worldwide leader in both search and Web advertising. It has also enjoyed a banner year in the mobile market, thanks to the strong growth of Android. But Apple has proven to be one company that can stand up to Google. The iOS platform can’t match Android in total market share, but when it comes to mobile apps, mobile advertising, and handset sales Apple is keeping pace and leading, in some cases.

10. Handling Microsoft

One of Apple’s most impressive feats in 2010 has been its ability to handily overcome Microsoft in several markets where both companies compete. Admittedly, Windows 7 had a great year in 2010. But in the mobile space especially, Steve Jobs was able to easily overcome Microsoft, due in part to Microsoft’s mistakes and Apple’s ability to deliver superior products. As a result of these factors, Microsoft went through a tough year while Steve Jobs and company enjoyed a superlative one.