Steve Jobs passed away 1955-2011

Steve Jobs

1955-2011

I’m at a loss for words, actually that’s not true, I have too many words and thoughts flying around about the death of Steve Jobs on Wednesday Oct 5, 2011.  I was on my way to Taco Bell for dinner, and for some reason I decided to check how Apple stock did for the day with the iPhone Stocks App and there it was at the bottom in the news section.  I did some quick checking to see if it really was true as I was in shock.  What’s strange is that I have never have checked Apple stocks in the evening.  So I’m one of many, many people that found out about his passing on one of his devices.

I couldn’t do anything other than watch the news about his passing.  It was over an hour before I could even text some people that might not know about it.  It’s now the next night and I’ve been looking at all the videos, blogs, pictures and news where people are morning and crying, it is so moving and shows how much what he did effected so many lives.  I have my feet up and the MacBook Air on my lap writing this about my thoughts and feelings and to post it.

First and foremost, my condolences to Steve’s Family and friends.  To Steve, thank you very much for your vision and drive to bring us great products.

I had an Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P and my friend bought himself a PET.  We realized I bought the wrong computer and went out and got a Apple ][.  At the time it was a wonderful computer and somewhere I still have an Apple ][e.  That was the last time I had an Apple product until the Newton which I still have too.  Somewhere along the line I went to PC’s.  I knew that is what I needed to deal with since most businesses used PC’s.

Steve showed off the iPad and I fell in love in with it and had to have it and I ran out and bought it when it was available.  I spent all day playing with it until the battery ran out and being disappointed that I had to wait for it to charge before I could use it again. Obviously it was so wonderful to use and play with.  I then ended up getting a used white MacBook.  What I couldn’t believe is that I waited so long to switch back to Mac.

A little background for you.  Besides using a Windows PC at home, I’m the IT guy at work and I also write programs for them, deal with networks, databases, websites, mail, servers and help desk.  I’m also the person that gets called when a coworker, friend or family member has a problem with their Windows PC.  In other words I deal with Windows PC a LOT.  I’ve built them from scratch, troubleshoot and repaired them and I have configured thousands of them.

Then I sold my white MacBook laptop and bought the MacBook Air.  Oh what a dream it was.  Sleek, Elegant, Beautiful and quick.  I tell you it is so much nicer using a Mac then a Windows machine.  It works!  No more blue screen of death, long wait times for boot, having to reboot in the first place, a program locking up the whole computer, dealing with viruses, doing constant updates and just a slow machine.  I had a video DVD the other day and it wouldn’t play in 4 different Windows PC and that included being 2 different manufacturers with both Vista and Windows 7.  I popped the disc into the Mac and boom it started to play with no problems.  What I’m trying to say is that Mac just works.  I haven’t ever had a problem, if I did, I could just take it to the Apple Store and they know what they are doing.  So now when someone calls for tech support, except at work of course, and they tell me what the problem is, I always say get a Mac and you wouldn’t have that problem or you should have gotten a Mac and then I help them out.  They don’t get it and you probably don’t either unless you use a Mac.

I was about to literally smash my Android phone with a hammer, the only thing that saved it from that fate was a friend needed a Verizon phone.  Then Verizon came out with the iPhone.  It was so sweet not to have to reboot the phone every week or all of a sudden see my battery is almost dead when it was at 60% a little while ago and I wasn’t using it or it locking up and having to pull the battery.  Now you need virus protection on Android.  Does all this sound familiar?  It’s Windows PC all over again on an Android phone.

I’m telling this because it’s Steve’s vision of the future and relentlessness of wanting things done right.  Devil’s in the details.  I still don’t understand that saying, maybe because it’s hell working on the details, but I do know that it’s the details that makes a huge difference and so did Steve.

Steve, didn’t care about fame, being number one, collecting your data, being first or money.  Most CEO’s, hell even regular people, that have millions or billions of dollars and being sick or sickly, would have left the company long ago but not Steve. He saw the future in a way that benefit every one with products that everyone could use.  It’s about the people and how he could empower them to do things they couldn’t do before and do it with elegance, style and simplicity.  He pushed people hard to bring out the best in them and strive for the best.

I know that Steve has his vision for the next 5 years in place at Apple.  I fear that the computer and technology industry, after those 5 years, is going to mostly stall and move at a snails pace.  I say this because Microsoft, Android and others copy Apple and without Steve leading the way others will go off in wrong directions.  Steve was about the people and his vision.  The others, it’s about money and your personal data so they can make more money.

I also want to also thank all the hard working people at Apple that helped make his vision a reality!  Oh how I know about putting in those long hours to solve a problem or complete a project.  You make awesome products, make Steve proud.

Steve, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for giving me time to enjoy your products and more of life and for showing me there still are people who are not money grubbers.

Mitch