How Steve Jobs saved Apple with the online Apple Store

Alongside the return of Steve Jobs, Apple's first online store played a crucial role in the company's survival and resurgence. It officially opened for business on November 10, 1997 and has been online ever since — except when Apple takes it offline to promote the launch of new products.Detail from an early appearance of the Apple Store onlineIt wasn't enough that Steve Jobs came back to Apple and stripped its messy range down to a few core products. The iMac wasn't enough to turn the company around either — not by itself. While it may not have seemed it at the time, the launch of the online Apple Store on November 10, 1997 turned out to be crucial component of the company's survival.There's an argument that it was born of irritation rather than anyone seeing how useful it would be. But while there is truth in that, the full story is that Apple badly needed its own online store. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums