Mike explores the life of Steve JobsMike Ziegler
-Photo Editor-
To leave your mark on history and hope to make the world a better place than it was when you entered it is the overarching purpose for most during their time spent in this world.
When you think back in history on those that accomplished this goal a handful of names come to mind. Steve Jobs joined that list on Oct. 5.
Whether you are a “PC” or “Mac,” Jobs’s mark left during his time with us was far reaching. When Toy Story 3 was released, attendees would remember sitting down in the theatre and seeing not just kids as young as toddlers, but college students and adults enjoying every second of the movie as much as them.
Jobs made that emotional connection to an animated film possible after buying and turning around a dying Pixar nine years before it released the first Toy Story.
Jobs’s biggest success during his time was arguably the iPhone, the device that really changed everything. There was a time when phones like the Blackberry and other early generation smartphones put every button found on a modern day computer on their devices.
However, Jobs and Apple released a phone with just one button and a touch screen that did not need a stylus. That simplistic, yet entirely functional design is at the heart of every Apple product and Jobs’s obsession to detail.
Apple and Jobs’s influence outside the computing industry can be felt today in many of our daily routines. During a time when newspapers and many old forms of mass media were dying, the iPad was introduced giving birth to new forms of content delivery, potentially helping to save what was formally known as the newspaper.
Buying music today has gone from a trip to a record store, or even Walmart to a quick trip to the iTunes or other online store.
Apple helped lead the movement to having your entire music library at your disposal at any time with the iPod and never needing to leave the comfort of iTunes when at a loss for new music.
The connection to Jobs goes deeper than the material affects. Jobs was a champion in design, known for pushing back releases because of minute details. That obsessive nature was foreign to many.
One of Jobs’s many famous quotes alluded to this: “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”
Jobs’s ability to create a buzz and anticipation surrounding product releases fueled an industry of its own. From his introduction of the first Apple Macintosh in 1984 by pulling the first Mac out of a bag to introducing the Macbook Air by pulling it out of a manila envelope on stage — Steve was a showman.
While Jobs may be gone, he is still felt all around our world and has a special place in the hearts of many. Even in his death, Jobs will continue to inspire for generations to come.
