i don't know Steve Jobs personally. i never met him at an Apple event, or store opening. He's not the first person i think about when i wake up in the morning, or the last thought as i fall into R.E.M. sleep. he's was - at most times - a figure taken for granted; as long as he was around Apple would continue to make products that affect my life and - to some extend - my thinking.
my second encounter with an Apple computer was during my freshman year in college when Apple reps came to the campus trying to entice student into buying PowerBook laptops. i was very intrigued, but concerned as most of the applications i have used ran on PC. but the rep assured me of the compatibility between the PowerBook and PC files, and demonstrated - with one of my floppy disks that had an essay i was working on - how it can read and edit PC files.
later on i worked in a retail store as a software salesman. every so often i would get questions about Mac compatibility with PC games. and though the games we had were not compatible with Mac, i would be asked what did we sell that would run on a Mac. all we really had for Macs were educational apps. oh, and Myst.
i never got into Apple computers - mostly from the lack of applications readily available at the nearest retail store - but partly because of the struggle i would read about with Apple's operating system, and their constant quest to find a replacement for the Mac System 7 O/S. i remember once such O/S that was being seriously looked over called BeOS. it looked pretty neat, and had Apple gone with it i would have probably considered the Mac as a next machine choice. but sadly Apple never made a decision to go with BeOS or something else, and released System 8.
It wasn't until the news about Steve Jobs returning to Apple that i started to look again. i have read about Steve Jobs, but only that he was the founder of Apple, and for some reason was kicked out. harsh. but it was shortly after his return that i started paying attention - a little at first then becoming incrementally interested. i had heard about the deal Steve Jobs made with Microsoft; buy 10% of Apple and allow Internet Explorer (and perhaps a few other apps) to be made available for the Mac. i can only imagine Steve Jobs leaving the Microsoft campus feeling very dirty, but the partnership between both companies would result in Steve Jobs's ability to shine as Apple went to work designing desktops such as the candy-coated iMacs and iBooks, and Power Macs. and though i was tempted to buy one, none of that matter until Steve Jobs revealed Apples first MP3 player; the iPod.
the iPod was a device i wanted the most. it was the perfect music device with a small form factor and ultra-fast connection using FireWire. the interface - like it's external casing - was simple and clean. buttons were laid out perfectly around the center click wheel. and with 5GB of storage there was enough room to accommodate all of my music. however i didn't get my first iPod until third generation came out, but each time Steve Jobs hosted an Apple event to introduce the next iPod i wouldn't move from my seat until i saw every new iteration of Steve's golden child.
just as important as the introduction of the iPods was Steve's ability to sell this device. he always introduced a new iPod with the right amount showmanship. perhaps with little effort seeing is that just about every device he introduces practically sold themselves. but his demeanor was that of someone who always showed pride in his craftsmanship, and a sense of not what technology could be, but what it should be. simple, easy to use with little to no effort. just pick up a device, and instinctively know how to use it.
just as important as the introduction of the iPods was Steve's ability to sell this device. he always introduced a new iPod with the right amount showmanship. perhaps with little effort seeing is that just about every device he introduces practically sold themselves. but his demeanor was that of someone who always showed pride in his craftsmanship, and a sense of not what technology could be, but what it should be. simple, easy to use with little to no effort. just pick up a device, and instinctively know how to use it.
when Steve Jobs introduced the first Macs to run with Intel's CPU, i was sold! my first & second Apple computers were and still are Mac Minis. i've used them to do so much more than general computing. along with Apple's software offerings i have edited a number of videos with them, made pictures i've taken with my camera look impressive, learned how to network them with other PCs to share files, compose simple music loops, even put together a web page. i'm fully aware all these could have been accomplished on a PC, but they weren't, and i wouldn't want to if i have a choice.
beyond the devices was something more i got from Steve Jobs. a thinking of maximizing the most of what you have with as little stuff possible. in a word, minimalist. in the recent years - as a result of owning an iPhone 3GS - i have come to realize that i don't need a lot of stuff, or even big stuff for that matter. gone from my life are the big PC towers that would take up so much space. i don't know how many times i've contemplated getting a 7.1 surround sound system only to think that it would be more stuff i just don't want to deal with. i don't even have a kitchen table. i've thought about getting one, but realized i'd rather appreciate the wide open space. simple and clean. every so often i look about my place trying to see what i can do without. i'm not there yet, but i'm working on it.
despite my ownership of several Apple products i have had my fair share of complaints, criticism, and nit-pickings over other of Apple's offerings.
still....
Steve Jobs was the brains behind every Apple product i own. for that i thank him, and will miss him a great deal.
peace Steve,
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1 comment:
It's obvious that Steve left a big mark in the way you think and the products that you own. To call him great would be to exalt him too much, but to call him a pure thinker, is to put him in the real of us humans, but with more creativity for the future he wished to shape. I will miss him and the future he had left to produce. Good journey Steve.
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