RIP Steve Jobs

[Alex]

Died just a little too young...was the cool guy to Bill Gates` square. At least the Woz is still with us.

[SloopJohnB]

Don't get me wrong - obviously his death isn't good news, but all the undeserved praise and fake emotion is annoying.

[hypehat]

The amount of tweets and things saying 'I'm typing this on my iPhone, so sad' are kinda stupid. But it's just not a nice way to end a life, and he was so young as well.

[rab2591]

Ya know what though, I was incredibly saddened when I found this out. I've been using macs since I was a little kid. When i'm not working, I'm writing/recording music on my iMac. When i'm cruising on Smiley Smile I use my iPad. When i'm chilling out listening to music I use my iPod.

Without Steve Jobs my life would be very different right now - and that's not overdramatizing things - it's the truth. So I can understand why many people were saddened by it.

[Mikie]

One small pass of a man, one giant loss of mankind.

He may only have taken in a single dollar per year, but Jobs leaves behind a vast fortune. The largest chunk of that wealth is the roughly $7 billion from the sale of Pixar to Disney in 2006. In 2011, with an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion, he was the 110th richest person in the world, according to Forbes. If Jobs hadn't sold his shares when he left Apple in 1985 (before returning to the company in 1996), he would be the world's fifth richest individual.

His professional life and contributions to the tech world has been well documented. He maintained strict privacy until the end. Only close friends, co-workers, and some aquaintences knew about his personal life. Only reason he authorized a biography about himself was that he wanted his kids to read it so they'll know why he was absent so often. He was just a regular guy. A real family type guy. Many people with his disease live for 8 months to 1 year - 2 years max.  Jobs lived for 7 years after he found out about his illness.

This is what hits home for me. Exerpts of this speech are being played on local TV in the Bay Area:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Another good article today:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/With-Time-Running-Short-Jobs-nytimes-175542823.html?x=0

[Jason]

I guess Macs do get viruses.

[Jonas]

Love that macro, SloopJohnB.

I won't deny he achieved a lot with Apple, but considering him a tech visionary is a bit much. He was a businessman, an amazing one at that, and the world's strictest QA...but a lot of things being written about him is kind of a stretch.

[Mikie]

Tech visionary a "bit much"  Hardly. Where do you think the iPod, iPhone, and iPad ideas came from? It was Steve Jobs! Sure he had great talented designers around him, but who do you think was calling the shots from the product design, prototype, manufacturing, and marketing/sales stages? He had his finger on the pulse of Apple at all times. And who's idea was it to apply Wozniak's technical know-how back in the late 70's and market the Apple IIE for use in home, businesses, and schools? What about Next Computer and Pixar? It goes on and on. Why do you think he's being heralded by Silicon Valley CEO's, Bill Gates, the President, and others who are saying Jobs was a true entrepreneur, visionary and inventor?   

[Jonas]

Where do you think the iPod, iPhone, and iPad ideas came from?

Sure he had great talented designers around him

You didn't have to fluff the answer to your own question.

Do yourself a favor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive

[Mikie]

I was aware of Jony Ive years ago, as well as Bob Brunner and Jerry Manock and others in the Apple R&D and design community. Some say Jobs and Ive shared a brain - they thought alike. Jobs made Ive V.P. of Design to lead a group of guys to come up with ideas and fabricate prototypes for products. I've known quite a few people who work/worked at Apple and have heard many stories, including the one where Jobs would routinely fire someone, then re-hire them. He drove those people to excel.

Don't minimize Job's importance to the company. Flat out, if he didn't have the vision and the product ideas, they wouldn't have been manufactured and brought to market. Jobs' name is on many of the technical patents behind the products, and his attention to detail is legendary. He was the dictatorial ring-leader of the designers and he inspired them (and the entire company) to dream big.

[rab2591]

I was aware of Jony Ive years ago, as well as Bob Brunner and Jerry Manock and others in the Apple R&D and design community. Some say Jobs and Ive shared a brain - they thought alike. Jobs made Ive V.P. of Design to lead a group of guys to come up with ideas and fabricate prototypes for products. I've known quite a few people who work/worked at Apple and have heard many stories, including the one where Jobs would routinely fire someone, then re-hire them. He drove those people to excel.

Don't minimize Job's importance to the company. Flat out, if he didn't have the vision and the product ideas, they wouldn't have been manufactured and brought to market. Jobs' name is on many of the technical patents behind the products, and his attention to detail is legendary. He was the dictatorial ring-leader of the designers and he inspired them (and the entire company) to dream big.

Perfect post Mikie.

Honestly, without Steve Jobs that company wouldn't have the drive it has. Jobs kept that company in strict control while allowing developers to let their imaginations run wild - and the combination led to some of the most revolutionary household technologies.

If Microsoft were half the company that Apple is I would probably consider using one of their products.

[37!ws]

I love it when people use Wikipedia to prove a point. I could always use a good laugh. 

[Jonas]

Don't minimize Job's importance to the company.

And thus begins the problem, where did I ever minimize his importance to the company? I agree, Jobs IS Apple, but to call HIM such an innovator and visionary/genius is a bit of a stretch. Its like saying Al Jardine is a genius because he was a part of the SMiLE process. Am I going too far with this analogy?

If Microsoft were half the company that Apple is I would probably consider using one of their products.

I am *DYING* for you to elaborate on this. PLEASE.

I love it when people use Wikipedia to prove a point. I could always use a good laugh.  

Whos using wikipedia to prove a point? I linked to an article, but I don't see how that was to prove -a- point as instead for someone to learn about trivial matters.

[rab2591]

Actually, my initial statement was rather stupid; as they're two totally different companies....Microsoft makes software to run on hardware made by a completely separate entities. Whereas Apple is an actual computer company that makes both the operating system and the hardware....thus the two work flawlessly together....and thus I don't have to press control-alt-delete every ten minutes to shut down Internet explorer.

[Jonas]

Actually, my initial statement was rather stupid; as they're two totally different companies....Microsoft makes software to run on hardware made by a completely separate entities. Whereas Apple is an actual computer company that makes both the operating system and the hardware....thus the two work flawlessly together....and thus I don't have to press control-alt-delete every ten minutes to shut down Internet explorer.

looooooooooooooool you're either trolling or you seriously don't know what you're talking about.

[rab2591]

looooooool. Or i've used shitty Microsoft products half my life

Can you please explain how what I said has anything to do with trolling?

[Chris Brown]

When anyone this famous dies there's always bound to be some hyperbole, but Steve Jobs' track record speaks for itself.  No, he didn't single-handedly come up with the Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc, but he's the one who had the vision and knew what consumers wanted before even they knew they wanted it.  He saw the future, and left his competition scrambling to come up with an answer to what Apple had already done.

He had a hand in so many things that have changed the way we communicate and they way we live, moreso than any other individual in recent memory.  And he did it all despite having his life tragically cut short.  As rab said, my life would not be the same if not for Steve Jobs, and even if they don't know it, the same is true for many millions of people.  In my mind, that makes him absolutely deserving of all the praise we've seen in recent days.

[Paulos]

Lots of hysteria at this mans passing in the media and on social networking sites, i'm not particularly impressed that he came up with the ideas for ipod, iphone and ipad as it seems that the latter two are just elaborate toys.

[Austin]

Lots of hysteria at this mans passing in the media and on social networking sites, i'm not particularly impressed that he came up with the ideas for ipod, iphone and ipad as it seems that the latter two are just elaborate toys.

I don't think any reasonable person is arguing that Apple (or Steve Jobs) invented the MP3 player, smartphone, or tablet. What makes the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad stand out -- and why they're cherished by so many users -- is that they're easy to use, very well-designed and have a rich ecosystem of apps and media behind them.

Put it another way, it would be a bit like saying Brian Wilson isn't innovative because he wasn't the first to invent complex pop songwriting, jazz-inspired close harmonies, or the Wall of Sound, and really, "Good Vibrations" is just some elaborate boy-girl pop song.

[Chris Brown]

Lots of hysteria at this mans passing in the media and on social networking sites, i'm not particularly impressed that he came up with the ideas for ipod, iphone and ipad as it seems that the latter two are just elaborate toys.

I don't think any reasonable person is arguing that Apple (or Steve Jobs) invented the MP3 player, smartphone, or tablet. What makes the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad stand out -- and why they're cherished by so many users -- is that they're easy to use, very well-designed and have a rich ecosystem of apps and media behind them.

Put it another way, it would be a bit like saying Brian Wilson isn't innovative because he wasn't the first to invent complex pop songwriting, jazz-inspired close harmonies, or the Wall of Sound, and really, "Good Vibrations" is just some elaborate boy-girl pop song.

That's a very good analogy - even Jobs himself admitted that they stole the great ideas of others shamelessly.  But he and Apple were able to take those ideas and mold them into something that people enjoy using, while at the same time setting the standard for everyone else to try and live up to (especially in the area of smartphones and tablets). 

I think labeling the iPhone and iPad as "toys" misses the point - yes, they can be used for entertainment purposes (and I would hardly consider that a bad thing), but the "ecosystem of apps" allows for so many other uses, everything from business to education, medical record keeping and imaging, etc.  The possibilities are endless, and go far beyond playing silly games and browsing the web. 

[Mikie]

He came up with the ideas for ipod, iphone and ipad as it seems that the latter two are just elaborate toys.

I think you've been misinformed.  Or just plane don't know what you're talking about. 

[Jonas]

Actually, my initial statement was rather stupid; as they're two totally different companies....Microsoft makes software to run on hardware made by a completely separate entities. Whereas Apple is an actual computer company that makes both the operating system and the hardware....

False. They're very similar, they both create software AND hardware. Yes, one difference is that their competing operating systems are built for different machines. Windows is an open platform that can be ran on anything that is a x86 chip, MacOS runs on proprietary hardware, although this has been changing since they changed to Intel chips and the newer MacOS's are built on Unix.

Besides that, they do a lot of the same, they create different apps for different reasons, whether its for development, graphics, office work, etc. Microsoft is a software only company? Uhh say that to the Xbox development team, to the MS Surface team, and to the Windows 7 mobile team...I won't name the failed projects, but you get the gist

and thus I don't have to press control-alt-delete every ten minutes to shut down Internet explorer.

And thus the problem, its not the software/hardware problem, albeit there is hardware conflicts all the time, but you should know this when building your computer. The problem lies in the user. Why is it that you think a brand new machine runs flawlessly but begins to degrade over time? Oh, it must be a Microsoft's fault.

I'm neither a fan of MS or Apple, I appreciate both of their products...I have an Ipod, and I run on Windows7 at home (I use linux at work)...neither has given me any issues.

But I digress, as this conversation is about Steve Jobs, and everywhere I go they always run off tangent into some sort of fan boy war. So back to my point, I still find it hilarious how people are describing Jobs now that he's passed...was he a genius? Perhaps. Was he a visionary? Sure...but an inventor? A Creator? Come on...he was a businessman, and a good one at that.

[Jonas]

Lots of hysteria at this mans passing in the media and on social networking sites, i'm not particularly impressed that he came up with the ideas for ipod, iphone and ipad as it seems that the latter two are just elaborate toys.

I don't think any reasonable person is arguing that Apple (or Steve Jobs) invented the MP3 player, smartphone, or tablet. What makes the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad stand out -- and why they're cherished by so many users -- is that they're easy to use, very well-designed and have a rich ecosystem of apps and media behind them.

Put it another way, it would be a bit like saying Brian Wilson isn't innovative because he wasn't the first to invent complex pop songwriting, jazz-inspired close harmonies, or the Wall of Sound, and really, "Good Vibrations" is just some elaborate boy-girl pop song.

Kudos, well said.

[rab2591]

I see your point - and I stand corrected on my software-only claim (the Xbox 360 is one hell of a gaming system).

To me, it just seems that Microsoft tends to rush their computer products - Vista, for instance, was THE worst OS I have ever encountered. It was incredibly buggy right out of the box....and it was a hit-or-miss when it came to what hardware you ran it on. Whereas with Macs what you see is what you get. OSX works great on an imac, macbook, air.

Idk, I have fallen in love with the simplicity that Apple brings to it's OS....and it works brilliantly and flawlessly. After a painful time using them during high-school and partly through college I've developed a hatred for Windows products lol.

[Jonas]

Agreed on all points of your last post. Vista was garbage, W7 made up for it by a lot! And its true, Apple's products are great...my mom has a desktop with Windows, and her Ipad. Both can do the same, the only difference is the specs, and that her desktop has a bigger screen, but why do I always find her on her iPad? Because its simplicity, great UI, and mobility. Even if she had a laptop, I'm sure it'd be collecting dust as she'd rather be on her ipad.