No, Thank YOU Steve Jobs
By Affinitive
We’re incredibly saddened by Steve Job’s passing. We don’t want to think about what the Internet, Digital Age, and technology would be right now if not for his innovative genius. Instead, we’d like to take the time to remember Mr. Jobs for all the wonderful gifts he bestowed on us and the world through his brilliance and ingenuity.
IPOD PHOTO (2004)
“It was clunky, somewhat pointless, and expensive (+$400.) But it was the first ‘big’ gift I gave my wife, she loved it, and now I’m married to her. Thanks Apple!” – Patrick
MAVIS BEACON TEACHES TYPING (1987)
“You don’t get to a wicked fast transcription speed of 140 WPM by just lounging about punching the keyboard with two fingers when talking smack on the Internet. My proper form and uncanny knowledge of key placement is all thanks to a very special lady named Mavis Beacon, who taught me typing.” – Christina
APPLE IIe (1983)
“For me, it was the Apple IIe – while I cut my teeth as an 8 year-old writing BASIC code on my RadioShack TRS-80 Color Computer (when I was a kid, you had to make your own games!), I would often go to my local public library and pay $5/hr to use their Apple IIe that allowed me to… save my code on floppy disks!” – Bob
IPOD TOUCH (2007)
“I was waiting for someone to come up with a touchscreen, wifi-enabled, large capacity, portable player that’s as sleek and cheep as my 64GB iTouch. It helped me in my apartment searches and was a gateway drug that led me into getting a smart phone. I’ve had it for almost two years now and it hasn’t failed me yet.” – Sloan
MACINTOSH GAMES
Prince of Persia (1989)
Oregon Trail Deluxe (1992)
Myst (1993)
“My lifelong love of video gaming began so tenderly when I got my first Macintosh. Thanks to CD ROM games and Steve, I was able to drink potions and fight with swords in Prince of Persia, die of dysentery along the Oregon Trail and cultivate a Nancy Drew-like obsession with another world in Myst.” - Margot
1st GENERATION iPod (2001)
“I bought a first generation iPod and used my newfound musical freedom to spend hours at the gym, losing over 100 pounds in the process. That said, Steve Jobs also gave us Feist. So no one is perfect.” – Andrew
iTunes (2001)
“iTunes revolutionized not only the way people organize and buy their music but it revolutionized the industry model for digital downloads as the first legitimate recognized independent source for downloading music. The success of iTunes downloads continues to be a benchmark of the music industry and digital albums/downloads now have their own places on the Billboard Music charts.” – Erica
While our favorite gifts hold personal significance for us, they still don’t encompass Steve Jobs’ vision and what he came to embody – beyond Apple even. Warren, who heads our West Coast office, summed it best:
“I’d say the biggest gift from Steve isn’t so much a product but a philosophy on product design and development. There are so many products out there that are weakened by making compromises, adding features and not focusing on what’s good for the consumer. He proved that this customer-centric philosophy can be massively profitable. Hopefully, something that other brands can slowly adopt so that technology makes our lives easier, not harder.” – Warren