Not content with revolutionizing the technology that was available for sale to the public, Jobs also set about redesigning the way in which it was sold. A shop is just a shop, right? Not when Jobs got on the case. The Apple Stores are symbolic of his journey from the technology geek who set out in the 1970s to build really good computers to the global figure he became in the twenty-first century, intent on changing the very nature of our relationship with technology.

During his second spell at Apple, Jobs became increasingly frustrated at the limitations he faced in physically selling the company’s goods to the public. He felt that the traditional electronic retailers were not equipped to show off Apple’s wares to their optimum advantage. He was convinced that punters would pay a little extra if they could see just what Apple products offered that others didn’t. But the average high street or out-of-town store was simply not geared up to provide that level of customer service. Instead, consumers were generally confronted by shelf upon shelf of boxed-up products, with the price tag often proving the decisive factor in which one they chose.

Jobs’ first step towards changing the physical marketplace was to strike a deal with the major retailer CompUSA, so that 15 per cent of each CompUSA store was devoted to the Mac and the software it supported. In addition, a dedicated Apple salesman was installed in-store on a part-time basis to show customers just what the Mac could do for them.

As it turned out, the experiment was but a limited success. In terms of raw sales, it did little to change Apple’s underlying fortunes. Then in 2000 Jobs made a wily acquisition to his staff, bringing in Ron Johnson who had won widespread praise for turning the Target retail chain into a major and respected nationwide player. Johnson was given free rein to assemble a team of designers and retail experts to work on creating a new consumer experience for Apple customers.

Heavily investing in top-rated design and architecture firms from around the world, the result was the Apple Store – a shopping experience a million miles from the traditional computer-retailer warehouse environment. The first two branches – at Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, and Glendale, California – opened their doors for business in 2001. Gone were the imposing shelves filled with boxes. In came great glass staircases, engineered Japanese steel, expensive hardwood flooring and state-of-the-art lighting. Sleek wooden tables displayed wares arranged by task: one area of the shop dealt with music, another with photography, this sector with video editing and that with gaming.

Then there was the Genius Bar: not for sales at all but rather a place where those who already owned an Apple machine could come to get it a health-check (or even just hang out with like-minded computer geeks). Later branches would also have theatres for Apple events and studios for training sessions and workshops. And when the customer was ready to buy, a roving salesman brought a pay point to the customer, rather than requiring the customer to join a queue.

The most iconic of Apple Stores, the one that sits pretty on Fifth Avenue in New York, opened in 2006. Just as fans queued through the night for the honour of being the first to buy new Apple products, so they braved the New York night to be among the first to inspect the new retail outlet. And, boy, did they like what they saw. Sales value per square metre was soon outstripping that of Manhattan shopping institution Saks by ten to one. There are now some 400 stores across four continents, and in many cities the Apple Store is a visitor destination in its own right. Ultimately, they are a reflection of their founder’s belief in simple, elegant design and superb functionality. Jobs as shopkeeper had made another dent in the universe.