We all knew this was coming but we all hoped that we had a few more years for Apple to thrive under the direction of Steve Jobs. I hear a lot of people commenting about how we are all mourning a stranger. My first thought is how could anyone be so callous as to not mourn any death no matter who it is. My second thought is that Steve Jobs is a man and a symbol. He represents the future I used to dream about as a little girl. When I was a kid, I just knew that we were going to have flying cars, silver clothing, and have a thriving space port on the moon. Star Trek was not just a TV show for me; it was a guide to the future and something for us to aspire to be. As I got older, with much resistance I began to realize that we might not get our shiny, zippy space future. The only company that seemed to keep it alive was Apple. Each product was better than the last. The iPad IS the Star Trek PADD.
With Apple at the forefront of competition, we got better products. We don’t have to have an extensive knowledge of DOS or be able to build our own computers. Apple sold us the idea of having a product that would take care of itself, just work so that you can live your life; not worry about specs. The first computer that I’d ever worked with was the Macintosh at school. But we could only afford a secondhand Commodore Vic 20 then later on a Windows clone. When my dad first showed me our PC, the first thing I wondered was why we had to look at the code and boot text while the computer booted up. The Macintosh elegantly hid all of that from us. I hated the PC. Eventually I began to like it and became a PC only girl. I’d even learned to build my own computers. It made me feel like I was in control. Fast-forward to MP3 players. The iPod wasn’t my first MP3 player. I had a Rio Cali Sport. It was a pain to get music on and a bigger hassle to get podcasts on. When I learned how easy it was to get podcasts using iTunes and the iPod, I had to have one. The iPod Video was my first new Apple gadget. It’s all history from there. I now own an iPod Nano, iPhone, and iPad. I’d already made up my mind that my next computer would be a Mac Book Pro because I could have a Mac with Parallels and still have the PC experience all with one unit.
I’m sad about Steve Jobs passing because he ran the last company that really focused on consumer experience. It felt like Apple was keeping the American Dark Ages at bay. It seems that Microsoft is only concerned with changing its operation system so that it can have a steady stream of income. Windows XP was perfect everything else has just been garnish. Through my generalizing eye it seems that the only reason Google got into phones is to compete with Apple. They are concerned with beating Apple and having a hot product, not about making the user experience seamless and “magical”. We all know that Facebook doesn’t care about anyone but Facebook. It went from a clean, exclusive awesome product to a MySpace cacophonous nightmare with abusive privacy practices. Yes, Apple is a closed system and they were run by a control freak but it was an ecosystem and aesthetic that I agreed with. It felt like the company respected our time and money. I want my gadgets to work flawlessly AND be beautiful. If Apple wants to know how to maintain the Steve Jobs style and maintain his vision, they can look to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek, Minority Report, heck, even The Matrix. Stick to modern, minimalist, and contemporary styles. Keep it simple and clean.
I hope Apple doesn’t fall victim to stockholders and people preying on them through this rough time. I was disappointed with the iPhone 4S presentation yesterday. I couldn’t fathom why Tim Cook chose to be so low key in his first showing as CEO. Now we know why.
I wish his family and friends the best. Godspeed Steve.
