6th October 2011 will go down in history. Steve Jobs , the legend , is no more. Chances are that if you are reading this site you are interested in technology to at least a small extent. It is impossible for any man more so a techie to not be awed by the life of Mr. Jobs. The person was responsible for changing the game of the tech industry more times than anybody else. Without him , the world would most definitely not be the same.
There is no doubt about it , Steve Jobs played a pivotal role in shaping computing history for all humanity. He revolutionized the music industry by launching the iPod back in 2001. Then again in 2007 , the very definition of what a smartphone should be was changed. But this is not a history lesson in what he announced. Steve was a force to be reckoned with. Having been ousted from the company which he himself founded , the pioneer was brought back in when the going got tough. Rejoining Apple in 1998 , Steve has since set the industry ablaze with wave after wave of awe inspiring , industry leading products.
It is possible to keep on speaking about the man but i’ll stop now. Steve Jobs has had a profound effect on my life. I’ve grown up staying up late at night to follow his keynotes. It wasn’t about the device , it was Steve’s aura which pulled us into it. Today marks the end of an era. Let us remember him for all the happiness he gave to the world with his charismatic personality and devices which made life simpler.
Here’s what the FoneArena team had to say.
Sandeep Sarma : “If Steve Jobs were a product, I would buy him. You do not realize how right Steve Jobs was, until years later when everyone else starts doing the same thing.”
Rita Khoury : A few weeks ago, when he stepped down as CEO, I was reading a couple of Steve Jobs quotes and interviews and two things struck me. One, he mentioned how easy it was to make things complicated but how difficult it was simplify them. Two, he said that a good carpenter wouldn’t be OK to neglect the design and the wood quality on the back of a cupboard or closet because no one will see it, he would work on the back just as he would the front.
I remember looking at my iMacs when reading these and feeling these two philosophies sip through every inch of the aluminum body. They are gorgeous designs, simple, elegant in their simplicity, and even the iMac’s back is a pleasure to look at.
For Steve it wasn’t just electronics, it was the story behind them, the different interactions people would have with them. That’s how he could sell a pinch of sand to a desert nomad, he made his sand a promise of a better journey.
He was a brilliant, dedicated, passionate, perfectionnist visionary. And with him gone, the world lost greatness today.
Michael Hell : I have never been the biggest Apple fan in the world, and I was not only once poking fun at them. However, I honestly believe that without Steve Jobs, the mobile phone world would not be where it is today. When he walks on stage, he brings a passion for his product, that can’t be seen anywhere else. The success of his products of course not only depends on him, but they’ve proven they were and still are on a good way. I remember a friend saying just a few days ago, that “without Steve Jobs, we’d still work on our touchscreens with toothpicks”. Steve, I have never been your biggest fan, but i always had the upmost respect for you, for how you have shaken up the mobile industry. My thoughts go out to your friends and family. May you rest in Peace
Steve , you’ll be remembered for decades to come. The man who shaped history. The man who put design ahead of raw specs and made computing accessible. It’s not the end of a legend or an era, he will live on, through ever Mac, every iPod, every iPhone, every iPad. He has left behind a legacy that has touched millions of people’s lives. Not many people can pride themselves in doing that, before they depart this life.