The KEY was:

Steve Jobs helped create Apple but left Apple after an internal power struggle in 1985. Which means, he probably had nothing to do with the failed launch of the Apple IIGS.

And, in fact, when you look at the stock chart of AAPL, it really shows the difference Steve Jobs made to Apple:

I don't have stock chart information for AAPL prior to 1985, but Steve Jobs played a major role in the development of Apple Computer from its founding in 1976 through to when he left in 1985. By looking at the chart, AAPL traded at around $4 in 1985 and when Steve Jobs returned, in 1996, it still only traded around $6. That isn't much growth for a major player in the computing industry throughout much of the 1980s and 90s.

But after Jobs' return in 1996 it was only one year later that the stock began to move higher, reaching a high of $30 during the tech bubble before retreating briefly and then engineering an amazing run from around $6 to its current high near $350.

Obviously Steve Jobs didn't do it all on his own. In fact the leader of the team who designed the iMac, iPod and iPhone is Jonathan Ive.

But, from my outside perspective, Apple was leading edge in the late 1970s and early 1980s and then as soon as Jobs left it lost its way and produced a number of failed products. When Jobs returned in 1996 things soon changed and within a few years the company was on its way to re-taking its leadership position in the space.

And so there are two things I take away from this. One, the importance of leadership. Under Jobs' direction Apple has been a stellar investment. Compare that to Microsoft, which was a good investment from the mid 90s until the tech bubble burst but has been dead money for over a decade now:

But, Bill Gates hasn't spent much time on Microsoft in a long time as he is more focused on reducing the world population nowadays. And the maniac he left in charge is, bluntly, no Steve Jobs (if you haven't seen

And secondly, the stock price performance of AAPL reinforces the potential gains that are possible in the tech sector if you find the right company at the right time with the right leader.

We are very focused on the precious metals sector as well as agriculture and uranium at this time but we look forward to a time when we can also focus more of our attention on other lucrative and exciting sectors such as the technology sector.

In the meantime, we wish Steve Jobs well and hope he returns. Apple isn't the same without him.