Modern Buddy

So sorry to hear of the passing of Steve Jobs.

Proof Apple products are made to destroy humans!

Anyway, RIP Steve Jobs, I give you mad props for Pixar, and clever marketing.

...I think I am one of the very few Graphic Designers that does not use a Mac ...anymore.

He will be truly missed, his products are used in my every day life for the last 5 years, from his amazing iPhone, iMac for my photography, to the simple things like the amazing Magic Trackpad


RIP Steve

WOW, amazing man and what a legacy; and this comes from a PC guy.

RIP Steve and thanks.

RIP, Mr Jobs....

No matter if you used apple products or not he helped make technology what it is today. He will be missed a lot, especially by us enthusiast.

Apple ][, Macintosh, Pixar, OS X, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad. None of these things would exist without him. He wasn't perfect, but damn he was outstanding.

I hope he went comfortably. My grandmother passed a few years ago of the same cancer and it was heartbreaking to see. After seeing that, I can say that I'm glad that he is no longer in pain. He must have had a hell of a time hiding that pain from the world and was very graceful in his departure from public view. His vision was truly groundbreaking and the world has suffered a loss with his passing. His strength in his resolve to fight the cancer gave me hope for future generations. My condolences to his family and friends.

cant wait for zombie steve jobs!

beastmaster wrote:cant wait for zombie steve jobs!

Not funny.

Nice to see this here. All I can say is thanks Steve Jobs for helping us live in the future we have all been promised and so poorly delivered on.

Lostmycage wrote:I hope he went comfortably. My grandmother passed a few years ago of the same cancer and it was heartbreaking to see. After seeing that, I can say that I'm glad that he is no longer in pain. He must have had a hell of a time hiding that pain from the world and was very graceful in his departure from public view. His vision was truly groundbreaking and the world has suffered a loss with his passing. His strength in his resolve to fight the cancer gave me hope for future generations. My condolences to his family and friends.

Well said.

Lostmycage wrote:I hope he went comfortably. My grandmother passed a few years ago of the same cancer and it was heartbreaking to see. After seeing that, I can say that I'm glad that he is no longer in pain. He must have had a hell of a time hiding that pain from the world and was very graceful in his departure from public view. His vision was truly groundbreaking and the world has suffered a loss with his passing. His strength in his resolve to fight the cancer gave me hope for future generations. My condolences to his family and friends.

Pretty much ditto. I can understand and empathize with what his family went through as they witnessed a loved one deal with that. I hope whatever is next is something comfortable and enjoyable, he earned it.

It's funny that many people who use Windows machines, Android devices, Sansas and Zunes, and other non-Apple tech and devices often seem to think that their world and the tools that they used have somehow not been profoundly influenced and made better by Apple.

I've said this elsewhere but don't mind repeating: I would not do what I do, be who I am or value the things I do if not for Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

When I started in college, there were no computers in design classes—everything was done by hand with pencils, pens, Xactos and rubber cement. I'd lost interest in "commercial art" and design until I started designing on a Mac. I was in the first class in the photography department to do a digital assignment using a $1,000 greyscale low resolution scanner and per-Photoshop software running on Mac OS 6. By the time I left college, we had color Macs, OS 7 Photoshop, Freehand and Quark.

So I wouldn't be an art director. I met my wife while sitting in front of a Mac at a job I wouldn't have had. My passion for music had started to wane when I got my first iPod. And so on.

Steve Jobs is getting credit for "inventing" a lot of things he didn't invent, from the mouse to user interfaces to the iPod. I don't know if he wrote a line of code or assembled a circuit board any time after the creation of the Apple I. The products and software are and always have been the results of team efforts. Big props to Woz and Ive (my other Apple hero) and all the others who've had a hand in envisioning and creating the future.

I'm sure a lot of pundits will say, "Jobs greatest creation was Apple," which is pretty much on the mark. But "Apple" has come to mean a lot more than a company, its products and public image.

Through Apple, Jobs showed the importance of design, humanizing our tools and enriching experience. The values he espoused and that Apple is built on inform my work and life on a daily basis. Apple became the biggest tech company in the world by sticking to and furthering those ideals. NeXt, the company he founded after being ousted from Apple, was also founded on these ideas. Its software was integrated into the Mac OS when Jobs returned and brought NeXt with him. Same goes for Pixar, which spends more time developing story than any other animation or live action studio. They know that all the digital wizardry in the world is useless without the element that connects it to humans.

People (critics) often joke about the near-religious idolatry of Jobs. It's not religion as much as a philosophy. I'm a believer.

Needless to say, I'm mourning. Jobs was my Elvis and John Lennon and so much more. I've no doubt that he was a jerk, egomaniac and a very difficult boss. That doesn't diminish his accomplishments or what he stood for.

Hm, went on longer than I'd intended.

ericalm wrote:It's funny that many people who use Windows machines, Android devices, Sansas and Zunes, and other non-Apple tech and devices often seem to think that their world and the tools that they used have somehow not been profoundly influenced and made better by Apple.

+1

Thank you, Mr. Jobs, for your vision and innovations. It will be a long time before we see someone like you again.

Maybe its to soon to think like this but Apple became what it is because of him. So whats gonna happen now?

I miss steve jobs already!

scootavaran wrote:Maybe its to soon to think like this but Apple became what it is because of him. So whats gonna happen now?

They knew this was coming and were ready for it.

There's a product roadmap that extends for several years. The big question is whether the new leadership can retain all of the people there who were dedicated to Jobs. Cook was hand-picked, though. While not as charismatic, he's down with the plan.

I don't think it's an issue until it comes to the Next Great Device. There may be one or two things in the pipeline. It's the "thing wholly created without Steve" that I'm curious about.

Apple has been a part of my every day life. It's devastating to hear of his passing.
RIP Steve Jobs. You will be missed by so many!

I don't think it's an issue until it comes to the Next Great Device. There may be one or two things in the pipeline. It's the "thing wholly created without Steve" that I'm curious about.

I agree eric, i'm left wondering if the age of homerun product after homerun product is over. I really love seeing the inovation from apple encouraging competition in the tech world.

chinaski wrote:

I don't think it's an issue until it comes to the Next Great Device. There may be one or two things in the pipeline. It's the "thing wholly created without Steve" that I'm curious about.

I agree eric, i'm left wondering if the age of homerun product after homerun product is over. I really love seeing the inovation from apple encouraging competition in the tech world.

Not to be a negative Nancy here, but, most Apple products are outdated before they are even released. There are much faster tablets with more features out there than the iPad 2, my older Droid 2 has better features than the new iPhone 4S... they aren't THAT innovative, they copy other technology, and make it different... just like the original Macs that finally made it into the spotlight. They were PCs with the Mac OS on a unix based model. Apple products are just more expensive, and impossible to have fixed by any other company... the only reason I would consider them more user friendly, is because they don't change anything between models or OS. The interface is exactly the same, so if you had the original iPhone you can very easily adjust to the 4S or the 5, whereas if you had a Motorola Razor, the Droid 2 or Droid X, or the new Bionic, are worlds apart.
In fact, my Droid 2 was my dad's phone, he had indeed switched from a MotoRazr... he couldn't adapt to the new technology and the features offered by the Droid 2, so he asked us to switch him back to his old phone, I could have his Droid 2 for free. My stepmom on the other hand switched from a pink MotoRazr to the Droid 2 at the same time, and she absolutely loves it. However, she uses her phone a lot more than my father.

I can't explain why the passing of a man I've never met is having the impact on me that it is, but I'm actually bummed about it. I think some of it is the residual effect of losing people I loved to cancer, but it is also probably because he was an iconic and inspirational person. I have read he was difficult to get along with sometimes, but I think that is true of just about everyone. We can't judge a person solely by their flaws, we have to balance those against their higher achievements, and that is something Steve Jobs had in spades.

AWinn6889 wrote:

chinaski wrote:

I don't think it's an issue until it comes to the Next Great Device. There may be one or two things in the pipeline. It's the "thing wholly created without Steve" that I'm curious about.

I agree eric, i'm left wondering if the age of homerun product after homerun product is over. I really love seeing the inovation from apple encouraging competition in the tech world.

Not to be a negative Nancy here, but, most Apple products are outdated before they are even released. There are much faster tablets with more features out there than the iPad 2, my older Droid 2 has better features than the new iPhone 4S... they aren't THAT innovative, they copy other technology, and make it different... just like the original Macs that finally made it into the spotlight. They were PCs with the Mac OS on a unix based model. Apple products are just more expensive, and impossible to have fixed by any other company... the only reason I would consider them more user friendly, is because they don't change anything between models or OS. The interface is exactly the same, so if you had the original iPhone you can very easily adjust to the 4S or the 5, whereas if you had a Motorola Razor, the Droid 2 or Droid X, or the new Bionic, are worlds apart.
In fact, my Droid 2 was my dad's phone, he had indeed switched from a MotoRazr... he couldn't adapt to the new technology and the features offered by the Droid 2, so he asked us to switch him back to his old phone, I could have his Droid 2 for free. My stepmom on the other hand switched from a pink MotoRazr to the Droid 2 at the same time, and she absolutely loves it. However, she uses her phone a lot more than my father.

This is a silly argument to have. If I've learned one thing it is that nobody wins when there is a "debate" like this. For every example you've given I could offer a counter example. I'm sure you could then offer a counter-counter example. In the end, we both walk away with prickly feelings and nothing gained. It is a matter of taste and opinion and everything else is up for endless debate. There is no correct answer and no product that is best for everyone. Right?

On a sidenote, innovation is simply a higher level of copying. One takes something turns it around and improves upon it. On paper, that's all there is to it. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Apple, there is no arguing that they were good enough at that to win over customers and dominate markets. After all, Apple is the world's second biggest company (second only to Exxon).

Was going to post, but Jonlink beat me to it.

Talking about Apple products / innovation / popularity+mainstream adoption becomes a bit of a "which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

AWinn6889 wrote:

chinaski wrote:

I don't think it's an issue until it comes to the Next Great Device. There may be one or two things in the pipeline. It's the "thing wholly created without Steve" that I'm curious about.

I agree eric, i'm left wondering if the age of homerun product after homerun product is over. I really love seeing the inovation from apple encouraging competition in the tech world.

Not to be a negative Nancy here, but, most Apple products are outdated before they are even released. There are much faster tablets with more features out there than the iPad 2, my older Droid 2 has better features than the new iPhone 4S... they aren't THAT innovative, they copy other technology, and make it different... just like the original Macs that finally made it into the spotlight. They were PCs with the Mac OS on a unix based model. Apple products are just more expensive, and impossible to have fixed by any other company... the only reason I would consider them more user friendly, is because they don't change anything between models or OS. The interface is exactly the same, so if you had the original iPhone you can very easily adjust to the 4S or the 5, whereas if you had a Motorola Razor, the Droid 2 or Droid X, or the new Bionic, are worlds apart.
In fact, my Droid 2 was my dad's phone, he had indeed switched from a MotoRazr... he couldn't adapt to the new technology and the features offered by the Droid 2, so he asked us to switch him back to his old phone, I could have his Droid 2 for free. My stepmom on the other hand switched from a pink MotoRazr to the Droid 2 at the same time, and she absolutely loves it. However, she uses her phone a lot more than my father.

I'll reiterate:

It's funny that many people who use Windows machines, Android devices, Sansas and Zunes, and other non-Apple tech and devices often seem to think that their world and the tools that they used have somehow not been profoundly influenced and made better by Apple.

Some people don't like the products, some don't like the company or the man. Regardless, he changed the world and his work influenced all digital technology and products. If you're reading this forum, you've benefitted from the influence of Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

I certainly don't expect everyone to feel the same about his death, but it's pretty telling that many of us have been touched by Jobs' passing.

One last thought about Steve Jobs' success. In 1996 he returned to Apple. At that time Apple's stock was worth less than $10. Before he resigned the stock had gone over $400 and was stable in the high $300's. Money isn't the only indicator of success, but it is certainly an indicator.

Another indicator would be the books written about him and the vigils being held in the wake of his passing. He was, if nothing else, a person requiring notice. I'd wager that there is half a handful of CEO's with the world wide recognition that Jobs had.

I'm not an iFan, so I'll stay out of the fray, but the Washington Post printed a very nice obit.

ericalm wrote:It's funny that many people who use Windows machines, Android devices, Sansas and Zunes, and other non-Apple tech and devices often seem to think that their world and the tools that they used have somehow not been profoundly influenced and made better by Apple.

The most obvious example of this is Windows, which was created specifically in response to the Mac, and spent its first few versions trying rather unsuccessfully to duplicate its features. If you use and like Windows, thank Jobs for that. He didn't come up with the idea of the graphic interface (that was a group at Xerox) or the MP3 player or the tablet computer, etc. but he showed how to do them successfully. The fact that Apple's products haven't always been the first to market, but during Jobs' tenure usually dominated them once they arrived, shows the difference between "doing it" and "doing it right", which was Jobs' key strength.

As for the future of Apple without Jobs, folks like Cook and Ive and Forstall and Cue and Schiller are some of the best there are at what they do, and if I had any Apple stock I'd be holding onto it.

AWinn6889 wrote:just like the original Macs that finally made it into the spotlight. They were PCs with the Mac OS on a unix based model.

This is incorrect; the first 15 years of the Mac had nothing to do with Unix. You're certainly welcome to your opinions and choices about what device best suits your needs, and I'll be among the first to argue that it's not always going to be something from Apple, but I'm not sure you understand the technology you're talking about.

I'm reading this post on my iPad. That's all I got to say....

lol mac

rip, jobs. you did a good....oh, nevermind!

I hear the Steve 2.0 will be better

RIP, I won't get in on the debate.... but I do have an iPhone, 2 iPods and 4 Macs at home... all are still working... the older ones I use as a server and a streaming device.

iMoses wrote:... but I do have an iPhone, 2 iPods and 4 Macs at home... all are still working... the older ones I use as a server and a streaming device.

Ditto. Quite amazing really. A decade later the old Mac's just keep on working so flawlessly. I just repurpose them for use as servers etc like you. Such great value.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

iMoses wrote:... but I do have an iPhone, 2 iPods and 4 Macs at home... all are still working... the older ones I use as a server and a streaming device.

Ditto. Quite amazing really. A decade later the old Mac's just keep on working so flawlessly. I just repurpose them for use as servers etc like you. Such great value.

Yet the $2700 15" MacBook Pros from 2007 die within two years from manufacturing defects... before there was a reasonable two-year warranty on the market. Shame.

AWinn6889 wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

iMoses wrote:... but I do have an iPhone, 2 iPods and 4 Macs at home... all are still working... the older ones I use as a server and a streaming device.

Ditto. Quite amazing really. A decade later the old Mac's just keep on working so flawlessly. I just repurpose them for use as servers etc like you. Such great value.

Yet the $2700 15" MacBook Pros from 2007 die within two years from manufacturing defects... before there was a reasonable two-year warranty on the market. Shame.

Perhaps some did. Sounds like quite a generalization to me.

Isn't this a eulogy thread for a person?

AWinn6889 wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

iMoses wrote:... but I do have an iPhone, 2 iPods and 4 Macs at home... all are still working... the older ones I use as a server and a streaming device.

Ditto. Quite amazing really. A decade later the old Mac's just keep on working so flawlessly. I just repurpose them for use as servers etc like you. Such great value.

Yet the $2700 15" MacBook Pros from 2007 die within two years from manufacturing defects... before there was a reasonable two-year warranty on the market. Shame.

paige wrote:Isn't this a eulogy thread for a person?

Yup. It's supposed to be. Can we all please keep it that way?

paige wrote:Isn't this a eulogy thread for a person?

AWinn6889 wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote: Ditto. Quite amazing really. A decade later the old Mac's just keep on working so flawlessly. I just repurpose them for use as servers etc like you. Such great value.

Yet the $2700 15" MacBook Pros from 2007 die within two years from manufacturing defects... before there was a reasonable two-year warranty on the market. Shame.

Yes it is, but like the other Geekelites (Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, etc) Steve Jobs bred strong reactions from people. He may have even relished those strong reactions (but honestly, he probably didn't even notice).

Also, like the others it is hard to separate the person from the product. I expect no less when Bill Gates passes. But I hope we can put all the other stuff aside and let this thread pass as quietly as Steve did.

Syd wrote:

paige wrote:Isn't this a eulogy thread for a person?

AWinn6889 wrote: Yet the $2700 15" MacBook Pros from 2007 die within two years from manufacturing defects... before there was a reasonable two-year warranty on the market. Shame.

Yes it is, but like the other Geekelites (Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, etc) Steve Jobs bred strong reactions from people. He may have even relished those strong reactions (but honestly, he probably didn't even notice).

Also, like the others it is hard to separate the person from the product. I expect no less when Bill Gates passes. But I hope we can put all the other stuff aside and let this thread pass as quietly as Steve did.

While you're absolutely right about strong reactions whenever Apple or Steve Jobs is mentioned, we've always shut down PC/Apple war threads quickly in the past because they never ever go anywhere but down.

And I would think that most would have the sense that a thread that begins with the letters R.I.P. is really not be the place for airing those strong reactions. Just as none of us would walk into his funeral service and start that kind of debate.

Fair enough?

jmazza wrote:And I would think that most would have the sense that a thread that begins with the letters R.I.P. is really not be the place for airing those strong reactions. Just as none of us would walk into his funeral service and start that kind of debate.

Fair enough?

Very fair. As such, I pulled the last couple of posts from this thread.

It's a contentious topic, but seriously, this is not the place to continue a mostly pointless debate that's been raging since 1984—one that I'm not interested in rehashing here of all places.

There are obviously people here who were moved or inspired by Jobs and his work who are mourning his death. It's disrespectful to them (your fellow MBers) for anyone here to repeatedly and emphatically try to make the point that he's not worthy and that their feelings are misplaced.

You may not share in those feelings and may have your own strongly held opinions about Steve Jobs or Apple. But this isn't the time or place to grind those axes and no one will convince anyone that their sadness or loss is baseless by arguing about computers.

I think anyone with anything of value to say has said it by now. Locked.