Economics Report.The chief executivewho presented the latest,and coolest, electronicsto the world has stepped down.Steve Jobs announcedhis resignationas head of Applein a letter last week.He wrote: "I have always saidif there ever came a daywhen I could no longermeet my duties and expectationsas Apple's CEO,I would be the firstto let you know.Unfortunately,that day has come."Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniakstarted Apple Computerin nineteen seventy-six.The company sold a new kindof electronic device:the personal computer.Apple Computer grew more quicklythan anyone could have imagined.In nineteen eighty-five, however,Steve Jobs resigned after disputeswith managers who had been brought in to direct business operations.He soon startedhis own software company, NeXT,and bought a computer animation studio.The Pixar movie studiowould go on to create movieslike Toy Story and Finding Nemo.They are two of the mostsuccessful animated films ever made.Apple struggledduring the nineteen nineties.Many products failed.The company began losing moneyand its stock price sank.In nineteen ninety-seven,Apple bought NeXTand brought back Steve Jobs.Apple used software developedat NeXT to create the Mac OScomputer operating system.The next year,Apple became profitable.And a series of highly successfulproducts followed.In two thousand one,Apple released the iPod,a digital music player.The iPhone arrivedin two thousand seven.Apple has also been a leaderin online marketing.The iTunes Music Storesells songs for download.The App Store sells applicationsfor computers and mobile devices.As Steve Jobs has noted,trial and error has always beenpart of the Apple model.STEVE JOBS: "We just tryto build products we thinkare really wonderfuland that people might want.And, sometimes we are rightand sometimes we are wrong." Steve Jobs is closely linkedwith the success of Apple.Investors were scaredwhen he announcedhe had an operationfor pancreatic cancerin two thousand four.His decision to leave comesas Apple continuesto release winning products.Apple sold over fourand a half million iPadsin the firstthree months of this year.The company holdsthe largest share of the growingtablet computer market.On August ninth,Apple first passedExxon Mobil Corporationto become the most valuablepublicly traded companyin the world.Since then the two companieshave traded the lead.And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report.