Normally, when a celebrity or well-known person dies, I usually don’t pay much attention outside of a few seconds thinking “ahh, too bad, what a shame”. It’s not often when hearing that someone I’ve never known or even met has passed away has brought me to the verge of tears. In fact, before today, I can really only think of one person: Douglas Adams. I think I actually did shed a tear when he died. It came as a total shock, considering his age and health. His writings helped me get through high school and keep my sanity while stuck in a place that I disagreed with on a very fundamental level. Today, hearing that Steve Jobs died was not a complete shock, but still, it’s very difficult to actually come to the realization that one of the world’s foremost technology innovators is no more.
I’ve been using Apple products for a very long time. While my first several computers were not from Apple, they were systems that had at least some level of influence from Apple, and simply would not have been what they were had Apple not existed. Starting with the original Apple computer and continuing to the present day, Apple products have long held a special place in my heart. The man who envisioned these products and brought them to life was none other than Steve Jobs. There hasn’t been a single person in the technology industry whose singular vision has managed to drive the industry as a whole.
The products that he brought to life have had a profound influence on my own life. Having been a life-long geek and having maintained an interest in technology, I’ve also had a creative side to me. And no tech products have helped inspire or spur on my own creativity than those that have been released by Apple. Atari’s products had a similar influence on me, but even then some of them owe a great deal to Apple as well.
RIP Steve Jobs. The world will never see anyone like you again.
Yes, Steve Jobs actually worked for Atari and was in charge of creating “breakout” the first fully color video game created. He was put on night shift by the owner of Atari even though there was no night shift because he didn’t get along with very many people, haha. He quite literally changed the world on more than one occasion and he will most definitely be missed.