The Big Picture
Steve Jobs: You die, and everybody loves you

Steve Jobs: You die, and everybody loves you

Jobs inspired millions to believe in the power of dreams; that’s what his true legacy is.

Amna Iqbal October 09, 2011

Fact: If you’re dead, suddenly everybody loves you – Grouchy Rabbit.

Especially if you are an American billionaire that made shiny consumerism cool in ways unprecedented. Or at least that’s what the global wave of mourning that engulfed us in the aftermath of Steve Jobs death would have us believe.

The dotted I’s went up in solidarity for a man who was hailed as a legend, a visionary or in some extreme cases, a prophet. His dogma offered you a bite off the forbidden fruit, a guilt free morsel of the sweetest thing you will ever taste if you have the power to pay. Once you convert, you have a temple of sleek gadgets and a hereafter of apps that exalt you with superhuman powers. You can now touch an inanimate object and bring it to life.

A grief-stricken colleague was horrified when someone turned around and asked him why should he care so much about Steve Jobs dying. Why did he, I asked him. Imagine a world without iPhones, he answered. I could, actually, since I don’t own one. I couldn’t, however, imagine a world where people stopped believing that they can change the world.

Did he change the world though? No. Did he make it a better place to live? No. Did he inspire millions to believe in the power of dreams? Yes. That’s probably what his legacy is and that’s probably why so many of us did care.

Like all men equipped with world-altering inspiration, divine or otherwise, he was mad. He didn’t fit a structured course of do’s and don’ts, charted his own journey and made a success story out of it. He believed he could change the world, whether he did or not, depends on whether you own an Apple product or don’t, but what’s important here is the fact that he was uncomfortable enough all his life to think that.

In a world that would have us all semi-myopic in an illusion of comfort, most of us lose sight of what we had set out to do. He didn’t in so many ways. Also, the fact that he earned billions off it helped. So here’s to staying hungry, foolish and eventually ending up really, really rich.

WRITTEN BY:
Amna Iqbal The writer is the publications designer at The Express Tribune

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (48)

kamran | 12 years ago | Reply Hi Amna Need more research should to try write best.

your father | 12 years ago | Reply The most understated article i have ever read about Steve Jobs

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

consumeconsume | 12 years ago | Reply And Steve Jobs didnt invent GUI LOL, get your facts straight people

consumeconsume | 12 years ago | Reply Wow so many apple fanboy comments here. What you brainwashed monkeys dont realize is that this isnt a tech article, this is about how Steve Jobs promoted crass consumerism.

Pavan | 12 years ago | Reply I started reading it and it suddenly ended. You should try writing bigger and better articles and do more research on the topic and provide us the insight. Will read the comments afterwards as they seem like a 'true articles'

Hashim Abbasi | 12 years ago | Reply after reading this post, my belief has grown stronger that Pakistani women should not write about technology or anything related to it. Let me list down the things we use everyday that we owe to Steve Jobs and why we do: 1- Mouse: Xerox invented it, discarded it cause they couldn't figure out a use for it. Steve Jobs saw it and knew exactly what it is capable of doing. Imagine a PC without mouse? actually just plug it out of your system and experience it your self. 2- GUI: Graphical User Interface were first conceived by Steve Jobs and basically Windows copied MacOS. Now imagine doing everything through command line. 3- True Type Fonts: Do I need to explain it? 4- iPod: Music players were around before it came along, but it changed the way how digital music was shared and how to make it legal. Tough in Pakistan it doesn't matter cause piracy prevails here :p 5- iPhone: Smart Phones were there before iPhone came along but the interface wasn't user friendly and you needed a stylus to operate them. iPhone changed all that and now ask your self if you would go out there and buy a smart phone with a stylus and a crappy interface. Go out there and buy one of those Chinese knock off's of iPhone and you will know. 6- iPad: its not a PC replacement, think of it as an e-book reader, on the move web browsing, etc. Think of it as a product that you can give to a kid or your parents and you wouldn't need to explain how to use it. Its so easy. I am thinking of getting one for my parents so that they can easily surf the internet, catch up on their TV shows on youtube, talk to relatives on skype, etc. 7- Colored PC's: Yes! he was the first one to show us that the PC's dont need to be all white or black when he came out with iMac. Big deal? well why didn't anyone else think of it before :p Steve Jobs did change the world and their is no denying it.

Solipsism | 12 years ago | Reply The writer's limited knowledge of Mr. Jobs leads to articles like these and she makes the mistake of confining Mr. Jobs to iGadgets. A bit of research about his past, specifically, how the graphical user interface has revolutionized the world would have been an eye opener. Just looking at that event and how it affected almost every industry, including, medicine is appalling. Just let people change their statuses on facebook atleast on a great mind's demise even if their life was, in your opinion, "just" affected by Iphones or IPods. =)

Shahrukh kazmi | 12 years ago | Reply Thank God some one do think like me, It was the same when Michel Jackson died people who haven't even heard his music or hated him they became his fan.We the South asians are Addicted to Microsoft OS and i can assure that half of the world didn't know his name before his death.

MAHFOOZ UR RAHMAN | 12 years ago | Reply Where is our 'Steve Jobs'? Still not born .

john | 12 years ago | Reply The author probably doesn't know anything about technology. She isn't aware of the advancements in gadgets and know nothing about computer and IT industry. She isn't probably aware of the history of computers and IT. Steve single hand-idly changed the whole IT and computer world. OP doesn't know much about it, that's why she wrote such a wasteful piece of article. Tribune should take care of the quality of the articles posted. They are getting their standard low day by day.

me! | 12 years ago | Reply @author ----Are you kidding ?????????? You are obviously not " technoligically aware " and you have no clue about what steve's contributions were. I loved the comment someone posted here ----- the very font you used to type this , was steve's contribution.

Saad Durrani | 12 years ago | Reply Fact of the matter is that Steve Job had influence. When an influence dies, a lot goes with it. Furthermore, if someone is honoring the dead, it does not suppose to mean that we "love" them. Though, Steve Jobs fooled a lot of Apple customers by repackaging lies, but then again it is brilliant salesmanship.

Rizvi | 12 years ago | Reply @Abhi: I don't use or like Apple products. All I am saying is he was one of the best innovators of the past 50 years. He has contributed a lot to technology, we should remember him no doubt. Or at least be positive about him, none of this negativity.

Asad Baig | 12 years ago | Reply Lot of people are missing the point,I think lot of people are admiring Steve Jobs.In a country like Pakistan where people are facing 9/11 almost daily and where US currently has probably one of its lowest approval ratings in any country,here comes a person from USA whose death has touched the hearts of those who haven't own/used an apple product(s).Its says a lot about the person and his effort to bring the world in your hands/finger tips.I am not a big Apple fan myself.Apple products are very expensive for a poor country like Pakistan and many can't even afford it but those who have some knowledge of the internet and heard the name Apple do know the contribution of Steve Jobs no matter how small.Since his death I have been thinking would it not be better if the US government takes an example from Steve Jobs death and see that even though he was from US he is still being appreciated and there is no bias towards him,most of the countries have a very negative image of the US but on this occasion people felt genuinely sad about his death around the world no matter which religion or country they belonged to.Steve Jobs at least must have done something good or inspired people,to get this kind of appreciation which in Today's Selfish World is no ordinary achievement for any person to achieve even after death.

atif | 12 years ago | Reply said news

Not a Jobs fan | 12 years ago | Reply Not a Jobs fan here. Don't own Apple products. The only problem with the article is the factual inaccuracy. :P

Abhi | 12 years ago | Reply @Rizvi I am really confused by what you have said. The PC revolution is mainly due to Microsoft, and I don't think anybody will write blog using iPad. I think facebook is one website which has benefitted most from this so called iPhone revolution.

Rizvi | 12 years ago | Reply He didn't do anything. He just moved the world 50 years in advance. Without him we would be where the world was in 1950s. Truly a legend. Changed the course of history ! You haven't studied computer science that is why you don't know, all you have seen is iPhones,iPads and iPods. Wake up.

samir khan | 12 years ago | Reply To the writer, You can't miss what you never had! All the haters, if Apple's competition were the first ones to come up with innovative stuff (the innovators were better than Jobs ofcourse) then how come we don't know of those products? Why aren't we mourning at their deaths? Why aren't there so many speculations about the next device like iPhone 5? I bet you can't even come up with even 1 name from Job's generation, who could be compared to Him. If it weren't for S.P.Jobs, this blog post couldn't have been done before 2031! Sent from my iPhone

Abhi | 12 years ago | Reply I am really surprised by the reaction of steve jobs fans. I was a great enterprenure and helped apple increasing it sales. He designed good products and easy to user devices, but few people comparing him with Einsteen and Newston is streching it too much. One guy here compared Ford and Lamborghini and yes ford will be remembered as invetor of Motor car doesn't matter if Lamborghini or Honda/Toyota made more popular cars later. One more thing here most of the people will look at Honda/Toyota with redicule of cheap car while these too companies did a lot to make cars affordable for masses, while Apple is seen as something revolutionary (may be because of elitist price tag)

Steve Jobs Death | 12 years ago | Reply Its fact that human beings are not valued and loved in their lives as its in the nature of a man that a person cares about the particular with whom he or she is in love, does when that person is not there. It is often said that life is unpredictable and when life is unpredictable, then why we do not care of the people who contribute a lot in our lives. The same is the cae with Steve Jobs death.

Confused | 12 years ago | Reply I'm surprised people didn't mention iTunes/podcasts. If that didn't change the music market and podcasts i don't know what did. It made struggling bands able to sell their music digitally without spending huge amounts of money on CD production and publishing companies. It also curbed the need fro people to hunt music in Napster and cause a monetary loss for artists. Steve Jobs wasn't a humanist or a philanthropist, and his ambitious nature was not regarded so highly either. But he did change the first world market, not third world societies. He brought technology to a consumer level, made people considerably more interested in gadgets and started off a vast amount of small companies attempting to be successful through apps or phone accessories. He shifted entire companies directions in the phone/computer market to another level, which is no small feat. But I can understand your point. Most of his innovations came from the world of technology. Did he change the world? He changed the technological world, did he not? Did he made it a better place to live? Sure, for a lot of people whose lives/careers are incumbent upon the technology market. He was no Nobel Peace award winner for sure :D And we should leave him at that. And the fact that people are so emotional about your blog, which is not a gadget site, shows the impact Steve Jobs made internationally, to a lot of people that may or may not be tech geeks, including you. An opinion is an impact too.

Usman Shahid | 12 years ago | Reply @Jahn: Amen, Thank You Steve Jobs and R.I.P

Vlad | 12 years ago | Reply He wasnt at the level of einstein, or leonardo da vinci. He was better. And he still is

ugh | 12 years ago | Reply From the way people reacted to the news, sab ka chachaa thaa woh!

Jahn | 12 years ago | Reply As with all things a little bit of perspective can provide a great deal of insight. I am 61 years old. I was around when the very first personal computers were introduced to the public. Way back in the 70's and 80's. The first computer that I actually got to see and look at in person was an Intel Intelect 80 - I believe that is the correct name. It had flip switches for file entry point location and blinking lights. In other words you had to set the flip switches in a binary format to locate the data register to start a 'file'/program to run. Programs had just moved from paper punch cards to paper tape. A HUGE improvement in speed of reading and portability and also file length. The future was being invented constantly by the companies and individuals at the time. Just as now there were a multitude of voices in the university and the labs trying to make computers faster more powerful and easier to use/utilize all that growing power and storage. They were 4 bit going on 8 bit at that time. Chaos reined supreme. Nothing was standard and nothing was easy to use. Normally you needed some sort of a Math degree to understand the interface and use of a computer. What was needed was a computer that used some of it's growing power to make it 'friendlier' for more people to use. For an easier example I refer to the automatic transmission of the automobile and power steering and brakes. Prior to which you needed to be a monster of a man to be able to steer a truck or to shift gears or just to stop it. Now with Automatic and power, ANY ONE; man, women, or just a mouse can drive just about any vehicle out there with a bit of training and good eye hand coordination. In the 60s I was amazed by the fact we had a women school bus driver that could finesse a bus around tight corners and do it as well as a man. Yes there were trucks and cars around and had been for about 100 years. But it was a special skill that few could master for the extreme amount of effort and expertise and STRENGTH and STAMINA that they required. Women did not drive as a general rule as they could not crank start a car. Unless they left from a location and arrived at a location that had a man around to start the car for them. And they had the strength and where with all to drive it. It is appropriate to say that the Automatic Automobile transmission contains a great deal of embedded intelligence. I never did like the 'command line interface' it made no sense and was always confusing.It worked against my normal way of thinking as well as most peoples. The GUI gave me the ability to use the computer productively. And though Steve and Apple, did not create or conceive of the first GUI and Mouse. It was Steve and company that realized the importance and value for the consumer and it was HE and APPLE alone that brought it to the masses. Microsoft the 800 lb gorilla was dragged kicking and screaming to the GUI. It took Micro Soft at least 10 years and many iterations to finally offer Windows 3.1 I believe. Steve won that round. And then we can continue. MS and Bill Gates wanted to promote the tablet computer. They had TEN years of failures while trying to offer the tablet to the world. Did they succeed? Apple did! Smart phones had been around for at least ten years before the iPhone. My first smart phone a Motorola Flip came with at least a 100 page manual. I was not able to use any of the features. They were all there, the engineers put them in, but you could not get to any of them. The phones were complex, none standard, obscure, anti-intuitive, and slow. Did Apple invent the smart phone? NO. But he did make it USEABLE! What good is a Billion Dollars if you can't get access to it? Yeah you got it, but you can't use it. For those of you out there that think that Steve did not contribute in a prophetic, way to Computer Development, I would suggest that you go and try using an Apple II (2). Or better yet get your self a old PC clone running an early version of DOS that everyone just LOVED then. You will get a chance to experience what the world was like back when. What you have to understand is that Apple has had 4 CEO's over the years and three of them did not have a clue. Apples bad years were due to mismanagement and lack of understanding. Micro Soft has had Bill Gates and Steve Balmer and they could not make any thing fly but windows and office. And when they are competing with Apple/Steve, they just can't keep up. Zune any one? And it just keeps going and going and going. Is Steve Jobs the new saviour? NOPE! But if you think your world would be richer for his absence, your sadly mistaken.If you think that he was not important well then you just need to do a bit more 'real world' research. I will disclose that after I found the Mac iici in '90', I never looked back. Thank you Steve Jobs!

Majidadi | 12 years ago | Reply I don't think an I phone I plod or a mouse would weather a significant much of a time tho be compared to eg everlasting bulb.

Herve | 12 years ago | Reply @Zack : and in fact if we say that Apple copied Xerox, we could also say that Xerox copied others. The mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart, not Xerox, for example.

Herve | 12 years ago | Reply @Zack : The New Yorker article here is interesting because it shows how the Xerox ideas had to be improved to be usable. For example their mouse was a great idea but to make it usable Apple had to take the original idea of a pointing device but completely change the technology. Xerox technology was not something that can be used for real usage. It was too complex and prone to breaking, and did not handle dust and grime well, which is a no no for any mouse you would want to use;

Herve | 12 years ago | Reply @Zack: The Xerox start system was almost unusable (it was slow, it crashed often...), and it was VERY expensive, even for a company. Basically Xerox did not believe in their own technology. Basically, The Xerox ideas where good, but were just ideas at the time, not really usable, even for a very expensive price. One quote by Jobs when returning from his visit to Parc is interesting. he said "You know, the Xerox mouse is a mouse that cost three hundred dollars to build and it breaks within two weeks. Here’s your design spec: Our mouse needs to be manufacturable for less than fifteen bucks. It needs to not fail for a couple of years, and I want to be able to use it on Formica and my bluejeans." Xerox (as a company) did not even knew what they invented. They did not take care of it. Besides, at these times when the meaning of patents was not what it is now, Apple and Xerox negotiated that Xerox would be able to buy Apple stocks before they were even put on the market, on the understanding that Apple would be able to use Xerox ideas, as shown in ONE visit to Jobs.

Petty Objections | 12 years ago | Reply Finally an article which sees through all this irrational Steve Jobs hysteria. I have been searching high and low for an someone to take a more cynical approach to what's been going on. I seriously think that Steve Jobs was a man of his time, I'm sick of everyone claiming he has changed society when quite clearly he hasn't. I hope you enjoy this: http://pettyobjections.blogspot.com/

Extreme | 12 years ago | Reply He is among the greats. The world is going to miss him. RIP.

Jack Haas | 12 years ago | Reply WOW... thank you guys for the comments... i was shocked reading this article and even wondering how something like this would pop up on one of my feeds... I had so many things to say as I read through this... (like, what planet have you been living on?? ) but the rest of the comments did it for me. so in essence, to those who left brilliant comments, thanks! to the writer... throw your nokia away and catch up with the rest of us... to the editor... upgrade her phone please so she can possibly open her eyes before she tries to write about things she cant even begin to comprehend....

Zack | 12 years ago | Reply @Ketan srivastav: Yeah, how about doing some research first. Xerox invented the GUI and Jobs bought Xerox stock so he could get an inside tour to look at it. The Xerox Star system was on the market in 1981 with a graphical interface, a mouse, traveling profiles........ It just wasn't designed or priced for the personal market. Jobs copied that system.

Usman Shahid | 12 years ago | Reply He died rich coz he worked hard all his life and you know what DIM WIT, Jobs was the CEO of the world's second largest company and just took $1 salary per annum.

Christopher | 12 years ago | Reply @Sheldon Marsh: Actually - I remember the days before the ipod. Mp3 players SUCKED. I was downloading mp3s at the dawn of Napster, and mIRC before that. Yes, mp3 players existed, and they looked and felt like every other Sony/Panasonic type device out there. The iPod did change things. It was simple to use, simple to load, and could SYNC to any new music you added to your computer. Most mp3 players at the time were manually loadable, and basically had the elegance of a alarm clock screen. In fact, there were mp3 players around several years before the iPod. Only teens and nerds who were computer savy had one. Within a couple years of the iPod, everyone had an mp3 device, even my mom. Perhaps your problem is all the people out there who say jobs "invented" things. I can see that. He innovated things. He took the clunker, and revamped the engine and put a smooth suspension on it. He took the intimidating, aesthetically inaccessible, and made it intriguing, beautiful, and more accessible. Would the world still have smart phones, mice, and GUIs? Probably. But who knows what they would be like. I for one, think HP, Compaq, IBM, Sony, and a host of other manufacturers, simply had a different vision, and for some reason, it was stuck in a certain mind frame. Sure, the whiteness or the sleek exterior on Apple stuff, even the glassy GUI, is just that - a shell. But it did have the effect of ATTRACTING people, and reducing the intimidation of electronics. Even my 3 year old niece, when presented with a samsung tablet, used it for about 1 minute. She had a "who just farted" look on her face, and put it down and went back to the TV. Why? Cause at home, daddy has an iPad, and it just makes sense to her. She will use it - for HOURS. It's hilarious - she will walk up to the TV, swipe it with her hand, as if she wants to scroll like an ipad. INTUITIVE????? Yes. Too bad all devices don't operate with the elegant simplicity that Apple inspired. My mom has never used a computer like she is now. For years, they just didn't make sense to her. She could do what was required for work, but that was it. Never wanted a home computer. And why would you? They looked very - dull. Thanks to the iPad, my mom has learned a lot about computer technology. I bought an iPad for her, and there she went, flying at her own speed. It was far more intuitive to her. She now has a mac, external hard drives, and knows how to use a computer to its full potential (making home movies, ripping DVDs, netflix, the works) This would not have happened without the iPad. Why? - the interface is SIMPLE, ELEGANT, and PLEASING TO THE EYES. Screw DROID, Screw Windows, Screw the multitudes who create overly complex devices with interfaces that are just thrown together. Jobs fascism in regards to Apples design and standards, created a device that people like my Mom could not only use, but ENJOY looking at and playing with. Not to mention, young children, and special needs kids, are definitely, without a single doubt, shown to take a more active interest in computers when they are tactile and FUN! I know an teacher who literally cried her eyes out when she saw otherwise disinterested children, take off and never put them down. When learning games became FUN, they learned faster. Did Jobs invent everything - no. Did he change the world? Yes. Did he change what people expect form a computer? Yes.

Calum | 12 years ago | Reply @Sheldon Marsh: "This is exactly most peoples problem with Apple. Existing products taken, the price jacked up, then marketed to people who are too cool to use the technology if it isn’t encased in white." That's a problem why, exactly? If the companies who invented the technology weren't savvy enough to market it properly, too bad. They had their chance. Boo hoo. "I do believe it was a normal, previously invented mp3 player….with a nifty control. It certainly didn’t change the way anyone listened to music." Except that it made those normal, previously invented mp3 players easier to use and thus more accessible to a wider, non-technical audience, which did indeed give them a very different way to listen to music.

Usman Shahid | 12 years ago | Reply How can you write about a legend when you have never touched what he invented? He didn't change the world? Really? The very font you used to type this piece of crap is created by Steve Jobs.

Ameer Aftab | 12 years ago | Reply @Mike J: You're right. I meant to write first mainstream usage of the mouse and GUI, but somehow missed it. Thanks for the pointer though :) @Sheldon Marsh: Bro, I'm all for bashing Apple and their vertically integrated business model, but you just cannot deny the fact that iPod, iPhone, and Macbook Air changed the way we think about MP3 players, smartphones, and laptop computers. Calling a Lamborghini Aventador "a Ford's engine ripoff with nice paintjob" doesn't make a Lambo less amazing, it just makes you look like a douchebag. Denial won't get you anywhere, my friend. Facts & numbers are there if you need them. Google is you friend!

Muhammad Sohail Irshad | 12 years ago | Reply Steve Jobs, it is difficult to forget you. You will live the hearts of the people who understand you.

mike | 12 years ago | Reply I totally agree with Ameer's comment. I myself am not a fan of apples lay products like the iphone or ipad or i__something. But I do believe he is one of the most important pieces of this age. I will give one small example that many of you do not know. We are using a computer at our institution that allows us to operate on tumors in solid organs with such precision like never before. That computer and its designs are both directly and indirectly, a result of this man's genius. Again I would like to stress that this is just one little example.. Thank you Steve Jobs! Mike - Oncologic Surgeon

zeluko | 12 years ago | Reply I read Amna. I read Ameer. Not that I often rush to express preference, but logic consistency and wholesomeness of Amna's words is more appealing and convincing to me.

Ameer Aftab | 12 years ago | Reply Here's an article I wrote inspired by your post on my blog [Tech Operandi][1]: Does Steve Jobs Matter? http://techoperandi.blogspot.com/2011/10/editorial-does-steve-jobs-matter.html Do share your thoughts on the subject.

Mike J | 12 years ago | Reply Actually, Xerox was the first to design and manufacure a computer that used a mouse with a GUI. Check 'Xerox Alto' Apple was the first company to introduce the commercially viable, mass production, personal computer to use the mouse and GUI and market it to the home and business user.

Mario | 12 years ago | Reply Let me say you are totally wrong about one thing: It doesn't matter wether you ever bought an Apple product or not. If you ever used an operative system with a desktop environment, a trash bin, a clipboard or menu bars, he changed your world. Your life was touched by his if you ever owned a mobile phone without keyboard, multitouch screen and an operative system based on "apps" that you can get from a "store" or "market". If you ever saw a computer animated movie, if you ever used a mouse or owned a tablet computer, your life experience was different than it would have been without Jobs on this world. And even if you never did any of these things, so many people have done them that, probably, these changes in their lifes affected yours somehow, I'm not giving an opinion on wether he changed most of our lifes for good or not, but there's no doubt he did. PS: Sorry about any mistake I may have made while writing this, my English is far from perfect.

Sheldon Marsh | 12 years ago | Reply

In early 2000s the iMac basically turned the computing around and showed that computers are not just for nerds and office secretaries.

This is exactly most peoples problem with Apple. Existing products taken, the price jacked up, then marketed to people who are too cool to use the technology if it isn't encased in white.

"In 2001, comes the iPod changing the way we listen to music, or even look at portable media players"

Seriously? I'm not sure if my memory is flawed, but I do believe it was a normal, previously invented mp3 player....with a nifty control. It certainly didn't change the way anyone listened to music. As for the Iphone and the Ipad, what can I say. One is a normal, touch screen phone, the other is a larger, normal, touch screen phone, without the ability to phone anyone.

Ketan srivastav | 12 years ago | Reply how bout doing some research before writing anything like this? Hello? The guy invented the market single handedly. Ever heard of a mouse? Yea he was the first to invent a GUI. Fonts? Yes his computer was the first to use type faces. he brought pc to u and me... he is probably in the legue of Guttenburg cuz without these 2 individuals we would have been years behind our times.

Ameer Aftab | 12 years ago | Reply I think I understand where you're coming from. Steve Jobs, Apple, and all the technological innovations he made probably don't matter much to a layman, a regular bystander in today's technological world evolving at warp speed. But while all his contributions to the computing world may not apply directly to you, or many other Nokia-totting folks found in abundance around these parts, its important to keep things in perspective and understand what makes a revolutionary thing, revolutionary. You don't have to own an Apple product to be affected by his changing of the world. Its not the products themselves he made that signify his contributions, its the overall effect and changing the pattern of innovation & technology that make him so important. Go back to 1983, he introduced the first computer with a graphical user interface, and a mouse (Yes, he introduced the use of mouse with computers!) In the 90s he made the first animated feature film Toy Story at Pixar Studios, breaking the pattern and stretching the boundaries of human imagination. In early 2000s the iMac basically turned the computing around and showed that computers are not just for nerds and office secretaries. In 2001, comes the iPod changing the way we listen to music, or even look at portable media players. Follow up was iTunes Store, essentially heralding the era of legitimate Digital MP3 sales, and a major catalyst in the fall of P2P music piracy, and Napster! Along comes iPhone in 2007. Its not that it was a hit product or the most amazing invention of the company, it was that it changed the way we conceive smartphones, or phones as a whole. It stretched and expanded the boundaries of what we thought a phone could do, or how a phone could be used, and basically laid the cornerstone in the evolution of mobile computing. And the last golden egg was the iPad. Now tablets had been around for almost a decade before iPad came along, but few had even heard of them. Making a tablet, and making one the right way made all the difference in the world, so much so that in the last fiscal year, Apple sold more iPads than their entire computer line put together! So Steve Jobs matters, because he laid down the foundation of the future! When Edison invented invented the bulb, the skeptics went all Ooh shiny! Boo-friggin-hoo! But today, imagine living without the light bulb (In fact, don't imagine, just think of the times when the power goes out!) In similar ways, not too far into the future, Steve Jobs will be remembered among exactly such revolutionaries like Da Vinci, Edison, Ford, Bell, Einstein, Newton, and Iqbal! You don't have to be tech savvy to be affected by his work, you just have to exist today to be thankful to Steve Jobs. I personally own a total of one Apple product, an iPod I bought years ago, and current reside firmly in the opposite camp of Android & open source software. But if you're even a little bit aware of how the world around you is evolving, you absolutely cannot even contemplate publishing such a well-written article on such a ridiculous subject! You may refer to my blog post Steve Jobs is Dead!... Long Live Steve Jobs if still not convinced. Editors: For God's sake guys... Seriously?

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Steve Jobs: You die, and everybody loves you

More by this writer

FOLLOW US