Regarding “The Mac languished and almost died until Steve Jobs’ return for Apple 2.0, with a full team of computer scientists who finished the job. They made good on the Improvisation Debt by sliding a Unix foundation under the edifice and gave us the modern Mac.”
OS X didn’t release until 2001, and by that time, Steve had already turned Apple around. I’d argue that the first iMac was more key to Mac’s resurgence, despite the stuffed-pillow shape. That, and an end to the insanity of the dozens of models of Performa that Apple was peddling at the time.