Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Several years ago, Carl Sagan died and I thought 'what a tragedy, the foremost communicator of science is gone and now that voice is lost to our world.'

Though not by trade or definition, I've always felt Jobs represented the voice of the Designer.

Take care, Steve. Thanks for giving me such a cool computer with which I can make a living, however humble.

I'm incredibly saddened and was personally amazed at my strong reaction when I heard the news. Though I didn't know him personally at all, he played a huge part in my life since I was very young, playing Oregon Trail on an old Apple IIe. What an amazing man. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. And thank you, Steve, for your wonderful contributions to our world.

If not for Steve, we wouldn't be able to make a living doing something we absolutely love. And he did it all for $1 a year.

 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I remember my first opportunity to actually touch an apple computer,and man wasit ita thing of beauty! And that thing on the end of cord to draw with.

I bow my head in reverance to his awesomeness!!!!!! (as I contribute via my ipad)

"Don't just think it, do it!"

The guy affected my life in a truly profound way - one day stumbling along with no direction whatsoever and the next riding balls-out on the crest of a technological revolution. It really does feel like it happened that fast too. From lost and unsure - to blazing a trail for others... just a moment in time. A heartbeat. There was true magic happening in those early days and we were lucky to be invited to the show. I was someone who had trouble seeing my own future and Steve Jobs lit the path for me. The man had vision to burn - and he was kind enough to share. For that I will be eternally grateful.

Whether you like his products or not, his business model or otherwise: the man was a visionary. He's changed the world of communications, computing and animation and shown us that oil is not the single best commodity on the planet: a dream is.

RIP.

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14
‎"Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth."
Psalms 90:5,6

My condolence to his family.

This is what I wrote about Steve on my Tumblr blog:

To begin with I have to say that I can’t think of any other celebrity that has passed away and has left me dealing with so many feelings. I guess I now know how people felt when John F. Kennedy or John Lennon were assassinated.

I have always loved computers and technology. There is something about a computer that draws me to it, and I can’t seem to stay away. I remember when I was in middle school, my family had put me into a private Catholic school which I absolutely hated. I had few friends there and even the teachers seemed to dislike me. In one of the classes we had a Machintosh computer, it was the first computer I got to know. I spend what feels like most of that school year behind that computer ignoring the teachers and submerged in my own world.

As I got older and computers became a household item I started to use PCs and there was I period were would have never thought of buying an Apple computer. I remember when we bought our first family computer, it was a Compaq. I think in the store I might have looked at an Apple, but the sales people quickly discouraged it. Then in my early twenties, nearly 10 years ago, I shared an apartment with a web designer and he owned a PowerMac G4. I foolishly laughed at it and mocked it asking him why he didn’t have a PC so he could do real work. He knew better and said “I’ll make you an account on it.”

I was hooked … IMMEDIATELY

It was everything I felt a computer should be. The operating system actually worked, you didn’t spend half your time waiting for things to happen. You could work, you could have lot’s of applications running at the same time. Coming from Windows the difference was night and day. In one world you spent your time figuring out how to fix and optimize and in the other you spent it doing the tasks you needed to. Then there were all the small touches of Apple elegance. The fact that the system was multi-lingual, you could make an account in one language and another account in another. The fact that it had a system wide spell check, which corrected type where ever you were typing. These were things that in the Windows world were a dream at the time. Even things like the Calendar and Address Book impressed me deeply because it showed a view that the computer was at the center of your life and a tool that indispensable.

It literally took 5 minutes, and I knew that I would never buy another Windows PC again. My mind was set and nothing would divert it. My first Apple computer quickly followed, it was a PowerBook G4. From there on I was a part of the cult. It didn’t take long until I started watching Apple keynotes and became familiar with Steve Jobs.

To be honest I can’t remember the first keynote where I heard Steve Jobs speak for the first time. I can tell you I’ve seen a lot of them, from the introduction of the iPod Nano, the switch to Intel processors, the iPhone, and the iPad. While I might not remember the first keynote I saw Jobs deliver I do remember distinctly my impression of the man. When Steve Jobs talked you believed. He had that amazing ability to convey things in a way that would convert and win over the fiercest of skeptics.

The first time I saw Steve Jobs give a keynote presentation, Apple was still just a little company. Mocked and laughed at by people who thought this iPod thing was just a fad and that the next great device or service would make everyone forget about Apple. But I believed, I believed in Steve Jobs and I believed in the philosophy he instilled in Apple. I believed that the Apple way of making computers, controlling both the hardware and software, was the correct way. I believed that because of this they would win over their competitors in the long run.

I believed in this so fiercely that I tried desperately to get my family to invest in Apple stock which was valued at 40 dollars a shame. At the time I was a 20-something student that lived month to month and had nothing to invest. No one in my family listened to me back them, and in the years that followed Apple’s stock has climbed higher that even I could have ever imaged. And while I didn’t get to invest in the market and make it big, I’m still happy, happy that I got to along for the ride. Happy that I saw these people working, and that I understood that their vision for what computers and technology could be was the correct one.

So thank you Steve, thanks for letting me watch your awe inspiring brilliance. I always believed in your vision for what technology could be. No one will ever be able to replace you, you are to computers what Henry Ford was to cars and for that we will always remember you.

the best nerd we'd seen is gone.

It's a very sad day. I never owned an Apple product, nor do I think I will any time soon. I hope you guys won't offend me for that. Or feel offended for me posting here, thinking - what does a guy who never owned an Apple product got to do with this?

Well, first of all, their (Apple's) innovations, and partly (or mainly) Steve's thinking, echos firmly through my Microsoft and Android devices. I do wonder though, what's most important to remember when somebody is gone, his or her talent, or his or her morality?

Cause that's what moved me most about Steve Jobs. His speech at Stanford University gave me goosebumps the first time, and again when seen in hindsight, in this whole sad new context. It's context is larger than what Apple has ever made and that's what I applaud about Steve Jobs. Cause this kind of attitude and thinking has enabled him to innovate - and it is this kind of thinking that I think we should foster, cause it creates an environment in which we can thrive in. Not just in innovations, but in live as a whole.

Sad sad sad news. Steve was a extraordinary man with vision and talent. He has made Apple the most valuable company in the world. RIP.

I came to know about this tragedy through Google Home Page. I saw the link and was shocked. I thought, Oh my God, is he dead? I pray God to rest his soul in peace. Steve you'll always be remembered as a very nice human being.

I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work.