Steve Jobs

[Paul Wolfe]

Not being a big time computer guy, the news of Steve Jobs death didn't affect me any more than to say, "Oh man, that sucks, he was too young."

Today it's in the news like the death of Elvis or John Lennon! I had no idea he had such a fan base. I saw one guy on the news say, "This can't be real, he can't be gone..." apparently people are leaving cards, balloons and flowers outside of Apple stores. Amazing.

From the little I know of him, Steve Jobs genius will definitely be missed. It's good to know he enjoyed his time here on earth and he has left a legacy that will be remembered well into the future.

[GUITARIDOL5682]

Steve Who ? i've never heard of the guy !!!! but like Randy he has become infamous through being dead ...

[Alex]

xx123456

[rice_pudding]

He was good a convincing people to buy things they don't need. A genius at marketing, I mean for many young people he practically whipped apple into a cult. I've never seen a technology brand with such a following.

But he did (arguably) save the music industry, so well done on that.

But as I say with most 'famous' people, he lived a full life, so I'm not going to shed any tears over his death.

Rob

[Alex]

xx123456

[Paul Wolfe]

Jobs is responsible for the 'smart' phone and the tablet computer which will soon put desktops and laptops in the archives... he also was a driving force in Pixar Animation who revolutionized animated films...

I knew who he was - even laughed when Sheldon listed Wozniak many places above Jobs on his 'heroes' list because I knew enough to recognize the names - I just didn't realize the scope of his influence.

Alex, without Apple's influence we'd still be sitting pretty with computers:




Ah, the good old days

[rice_pudding]

He was good a convincing people to buy things they don't need.

Without Steve, the world may not have been what it is today. Think about it. Even Microsoft was developing for Apple back in the 70/80s, and the competition between the two later spurred them both on. Think about what computers would have looked like without Apple's influence.

I don't doubt his impact and innovation, but I think marketing was his greatest asset. He knew what would sell and knew how to sell it. Macs, ipods, iphones, are all among the most aspirational, desirable products in the world.

Although I'm sure Apple have developed lots of important tech in the last 10 years, I would argue tablets and smart phones were obvious and everyone could see them coming. Ultimately though the main difference between ipods, iphones etc and mp3 players and mobiles is branding.

Rob

[Whipper]

He's just the founder and driving force behind the biggest (yep, biggest) company on earth.

Well, 119th place, but who's counting, right?

I'm sorry, but while I can certainly acknowledge his genius and accomplishments, I find his and Apple's importance blown way out of proportion. I mean, I actually heard him compared to Leonardo da Vinci on the news the other day!

The fact that Microsoft was developing for Apple in the early years only makes Apple look less impressive, as they required their help. And I hardly think computers would have looked any different today if Apple never existed. Just look at Tandy's TSR-80 or Commodore's PET from 1977, the same year Apple released their first computer, the Apple II (not including the the Apple I from the year before, which was nothing more than a circuit board as a kit). Apple's computer certainly wasn't any more revolutionary in design, nor has it ever been since.

I really don't see tablets replacing desktop computers either. You can't even install real software on them, just little "apps". They're fine for dicking around on Facebook and YouTube, etc., but useless for doing any real work. For some types of work you require a large display, even a second display, so a tablet design would not make much sense. The concept of a tablet computer was in development before Apple released their Newton device in '93 anyway.

Some people make it sound like if Apple never came along, we'd still be sitting around banging rocks to try and start a fire.

[Alex]

xx123456

[Paul Wolfe]

When I said that desktops would be replaced I was referring to the home use of desktops... they are already nearly gone thanks to the developments in laptops... as for not being able to put 'real' software on a tablet, maybe you are unfamiliar with the cloud computing concept where you use software based on a different machine? That is the wave of the future my friend, like it or not.

[Whipper]

Thing is, Microsoft is and was a software company. Apple wasn't. That hardly deters from the importance of Apple.

Then why bring it up in the first place?

As Bill Gates himself put it, Apple built and marketed something that belonged in the home of people, and not a science lab. Other people did it as well back then, but not on the same scale or level that Apple did.

What do you mean by "not on the same scale or level"? I would assume percentage of the personal computer market, but they've always had the smallest percentage. Even today it's only 9.7%.

[Alex]

xx123456

[Alex]

xx123456

[rice_pudding]

When I said that desktops would be replaced I was referring to the home use of desktops... they are already nearly gone thanks to the developments in laptops... as for not being able to put 'real' software on a tablet, maybe you are unfamiliar with the cloud computing concept where you use software based on a different machine? That is the wave of the future my friend, like it or not.

Personally I think that we will see a more diverse range of use, but I can't see desktops or laptops in they're current form disappearing. People place too much emphasis on new tech and forget about old needs. I remember scratching my head when a student told me intel would soon go out of business because they don't make products for smart phones

So long as each format presents a usage people want they will persist. Traditional desktops may become the reserve of gamers and working professionals as laptops and all-in-one pc's become more powerful and affordable.

Personally I don't currently see tablets having any more use outside of very specific business environments. For most people I know who have one, its basically a toy. A friend recently told me his business spent thousands restructuring their IT from PC to Mac just so the executives could stick shit on their ipads during meetings. I personally have been aggravated on some film sets where people dick about with the things as a replacement for a slate, it's just a waste of time. I can see a use for one, I could replace paperwork and manuals with one when I'm at work, but no way would I spend the £££ just to replace a small wad of paper. Most people who buy a tablet would probably be served better by a netbook IMO.

Cloud computing is also a little suspect IMO, it sounds cool but I don't see any real advantage and i haven't seen a platform introduced yet that makes financial sense to me as a consumer. But time will tell.

Rob

[Trigger]

I agree with Rob, he was brilliant at convincing people they needed to buy things! but as a technophobe I am unsure what his real gift was to the world because I quiet enjoy the time I spend without gadgets.