If Steve Jobs Had His Way, We Wouldn't Be Celebrating The Apple App Store's 5th Anniversary

Chris O'Brien | Los Angeles Times | July 10, 2013

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple App Store. And perhaps one of the most amazing things about this milestone is that it never would have happened if things had played out the way Steve Jobs wanted.

Just imagine if there were no iPhone apps and no App Store. Aside from creating billions of dollars in value for developers, Apps have been a cornerstone to the success of the iPhone and iPad.

The fact that the App Store does exist is a testament to a characteristic of Jobs and Apple for which neither tends to get much credit. They listen to users.

To understand why, you have to jump back to a piece of history that is often forgotten.