Showing posts with label Steve Jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Jobs. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2011
Steve Jobs was not a dictator, you're just being a dick...tator.
You think Jobs exercised censorship and authoritarianism? You think Jobs was a dictator? Apparently, you don't understand that words have meanings.
Has Jobs obtained power over you by force? No he has not. Has Jobs obtained power over his customers by force? No he has not. Can you choose whether or not you use Apple's products? Yes, you can.
Jobs controlled Apple with an iron fist. But you don't have to - never had to - deal with Apple. You have freedom of choice. And tens of millions of people freely choose to buy Apple's products. That's hardly the mark of a dictator or a dictatorship. That's the mark of a successful business.
Dictator: a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained power by force.
Has Jobs obtained power over you by force? No he has not. Has Jobs obtained power over his customers by force? No he has not. Can you choose whether or not you use Apple's products? Yes, you can.
Jobs controlled Apple with an iron fist. But you don't have to - never had to - deal with Apple. You have freedom of choice. And tens of millions of people freely choose to buy Apple's products. That's hardly the mark of a dictator or a dictatorship. That's the mark of a successful business.
It's the interface, stupid
Steve Jobs is rightfully credited with many insights and many advances in technology. But here's a different way of looking at Jobs' contributions to computing.
Mouse.
Touch.
Voice.
Before Jobs, everyone interfaced with their computer by using their keyboards. The Mac popularized the mouse driven interface. The iPad popularized the touch driven interface. Now the iPhone 4S is on the verge of popularizing the voice driven interface.
Jobs didn't revolutionize the computer - he revolutionized how we INTERACTED with the computer. And each advance made the interaction between man and computer less computer like and more liked by humans.
Mouse.
Touch.
Voice.
Before Jobs, everyone interfaced with their computer by using their keyboards. The Mac popularized the mouse driven interface. The iPad popularized the touch driven interface. Now the iPhone 4S is on the verge of popularizing the voice driven interface.
Jobs didn't revolutionize the computer - he revolutionized how we INTERACTED with the computer. And each advance made the interaction between man and computer less computer like and more liked by humans.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Apple was Steve Jobs' greatest creation
Did you notice that the presenters did no tribute to Steve? No homage. They scrupulously avoided mentioning him. Or even referencing him by imitating his presentation style or delivery. There was one moment, near the end, when they introduced Siri, their crowning achievement. It was then that they could have - almost felt like they should have - employed the "one more thing" mantra that Steve Jobs had made so famous. But they didn't copy him. They didn't emulate him. No pale imitation of the phrase that Steve Jobs had redefined, just as he had redefined so many things in his life. The presentation carried on without out him. Without referencing him. Because that is what Jobs would have wanted.
Steve Jobs was a showman. He was a private man. He was incredibly arrogant. He was incredibly humble. He was an egotist. Yet he put the needs of his company ahead of his ego. Perhaps it was because he was prouder of his company than he was even of himself. When it came time for Apple to present the future or to honor the man who had created that future, Apple choose the former. Because that is what Jobs would have wanted.
The tribute that all those who participated in the event paid to Steve Jobs - the last event to occur in his lifetime - was to carry on. To focus on Apple and not on the man who had single handedly raised Apple from the dead. To focus on the result of their efforts and not on the efforts themselves.To focus on the future and not the past. To focus on what would be and not on what would soon be no more.
Of all the things that Steve Jobs created, Apple may be his most important creation of all. Steve Jobs was leaving Apple forever, but he wanted Apple to carry on when he was gone. Steve didn't want Apple to end even though he was so near his end. If he had built Apple right, then Apple would continue without him. So that's what the presenters did. They continued without out him. Because that is what Jobs would have wanted.
Steve Jobs was a showman. He was a private man. He was incredibly arrogant. He was incredibly humble. He was an egotist. Yet he put the needs of his company ahead of his ego. Perhaps it was because he was prouder of his company than he was even of himself. When it came time for Apple to present the future or to honor the man who had created that future, Apple choose the former. Because that is what Jobs would have wanted.
The tribute that all those who participated in the event paid to Steve Jobs - the last event to occur in his lifetime - was to carry on. To focus on Apple and not on the man who had single handedly raised Apple from the dead. To focus on the result of their efforts and not on the efforts themselves.To focus on the future and not the past. To focus on what would be and not on what would soon be no more.
Of all the things that Steve Jobs created, Apple may be his most important creation of all. Steve Jobs was leaving Apple forever, but he wanted Apple to carry on when he was gone. Steve didn't want Apple to end even though he was so near his end. If he had built Apple right, then Apple would continue without him. So that's what the presenters did. They continued without out him. Because that is what Jobs would have wanted.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
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