Article first published on Technorati http://technorati.com/technology/article/steve-jobs-the-loss-of-the
On Wednesday evening, this October 5th, in Palo Alto, California the world lost one of the most innovative minds since Thomas Edison. We bid farewell to the founder of Apple computers, Steve Jobs.
No matter who you are or where you live in North America or even all around the world, Steve Jobs has touched your life. True rags to riches story, Jobs worked his way to the top. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, a working class couple from Santa Clara County in California near San Francisco. He would later build the first Apple computer with Co-Founder Steve Wozniak in the same garage of the house he grew up in.
Wozniak built the world’s first computer that could have a keyboard punch in letter and have them appear right in front of you on the screen. Imagine the technology!! Okay, so it doesn’t seem like much now but you have to realize that this was all taking place at a time when the idea of building a profitable business with personal computers was laughable if not foolhardy. The first Apple I was released in 1976 but it was the release of the Apple II that really flipped the switch on where we are today. The Apple II was the first consumer-friendly PC.
Steve Jobs took action and did the things we only dream about. In 1985 Jobs was actually tossed out of his own company. So in 1986 he started NeXT to develop hardware and software and then decided to purchase a company called Pixar for 5 million dollars. Yes, the same Pixar with the lamp. The guys who brought us Toy Story and Cars. After 10 years Jobs returned a champion as Apple purchased NeXT for $429million. That’s a lot of zeros for the man you kicked out 10 years earlier. They let bygones be bygones and even appointed him CEO.
I’m not going to sit here and write about the history of Steve Jobs. I’m sure if you Google the name there is over 400 accounts of life and times of Steve Jobs. I want you to think about the man himself. He was a regular guy besides being worth as much as Bolivia…or more. He had three kids with his wife. He even had a child out of wedlock before his marriage. He was just like you and me only he took action. And I assume most of us are not computer geniuses but that’s beside the point.What has he brought to your life? I know when I go to the gym I always see multiple people with an IPOD or an IPHONE to listen too during their training. I use my ITOUCH. If you look into some of your favorite movies that have great special effects, 9 out of 10 of the companies will be using MAC’s. I think his greatest feat is how come there are so many bugs and viruses for Windows based systems and yet you never have to worry about a virus with MAC? And don’t give me that whole not enough people use MAC to warrant developing viruses garbage. Look where we are today. The IPHONE has features that people would have considered science fiction 15 years ago. I bet if I asked you how many of your friends own an IPHONE you wouldn’t be able to count because there is so many of them. So many that if I took it a step further I bet that more of your friends own an IPHONE as opposed to any other phone all put together.
Unfortunately money can’t buy you everything. Steve Jobs lost his 6 years battle with pancreatic cancer. Next time you hear someone blowing smoke about conspiracy about the rich having access to things the poor do not in terms of health care, ask them their thoughts on Steve Jobs. I wish he had access to miracles cures and lived on. Many people will say he was a ruthless business man, maintaining proprietary systems. But the man was here to try and make our lives easier. He was all about ease of use. He built those first computers for us thinking that this would never be a profitable business. He was a hippie. He did LSD when he was younger. He was a caring father and a good man. He was just like you and me.
The world will mourn his loss in the years to come. I only ask that each time you play Angry Birds you say “Thank you Steve Jobs.â€
