Apple has released word that Steve Jobs has returned to work at Apple. I, for one, am relieved to hear that he’s feeling well enough to return to his duties. Not just because he is back at the helm at Apple, but because it means he is feeling well again.

A recent article lamented how the recent passing of Michael Jackson marks the passing of superstars of pop culture. Such super-fame will never again be achieved. But in the technical world, one superstar still remains.

If you came of age in the late 80s and early 90s like I did, you had one of two technology messiahs: Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Your choice showed which technology camp you were in. Steve Jobs was mine.

The Apple ][ was great, but Jobs first really impressed with the Mac. The personal computer was just starting out and Apple's answer to the clunky, text-based PCs (Apple ][ included) was a user interface that was clean, intuitive, and ... sexy. But while Jobs had the vision, Gates had the business acumen. Gates tied Microsoft to an open hardware architecture that was easy to duplicate and, therefore, very inexpensive. When he copied the Mac interface, the PC eventually took over the home market.

Jobs eventually left Apple and almost faded into obscurity. But he wasn't done yet. In 1996, he called Apple and came back as an unpaid advisor. He made, what some consider, a deal with the devil, brokering a deal with Microsoft that gave them (non-voting) share ownership to the tune of $150 million. But with Apple struggling, this was a genius move to help fund projects that would change the world.

First came the redesign of the Mac. The semi-opaque shells started a design revolution in the electronics industry that lasted for years. It made technology cool, hip, and... sexy. He moved the internals to Intel and released OS X. The geeks among you will appreciate how basing a home computer operating system on Unix was a revolution in and of itself. He did what Linus Torvalds' couldn't do. He put Unix into the home.

Next came the iPod. Mp3 players already existed, but here again, the design was what was genius. No blocky form factors and traditional play, pause, and stop buttons. The track wheel was something never seen before. It was intuitive and... (wait for it...) sexy. And putting the Mac interface on it made it easy to use.

Then there was the iPhone. Here was a device that not only revolutionized cell phones, it revolutionized user interfaces for all mobile devices. The touch concepts of the iPhone are appearing everywhere. And guess what? It's sexy.

Only Apple insiders truly know if these were designs in Jobs's head, or ideas that came from his talent pool. One thing is clear to outsiders like you and me, though. And that is that Jobs led the revolution. It was either his visions, or his drive to create these visions that changed how we use technology forever.

Part of Jobs’s star quality is that he doesn’t believe he’s a star. He is always soft spoken and humble. He doesn’t care about money. He just wants to make things that people will use and enjoy. In his announcements of new products, there are no flashing lights, no loud music. He simply dons his black turtleneck and jeans and lets the products wow the audience. The products speak for themselves.

While Bill Gates changed the world with his business genius, there will be plenty that will be able to duplicate his effort. But Steve Jobs is one of a kind. He is a true visionary.

I hope Steve Jobs has his health problems behind him so he can continue impressing us for the next 20-30 years. I’m glad to see Steve Jobs back at Apple so he can continue work on his next great vision. I can’t wait to see what’s next up his sleeve.

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