One day after Apple showcased the birth of a new product (the iPhone 4S), a long standing member of the Apple family unfortunately passed away. A co-founder, ex-CEO and chairman at Apple, Jobs has undoubtedly left his mark on the world; be it through his words, actions, or inventions. One of these is sure to have touched us at some point.
His influence was so great that hours after his resignation was made public, Apple’s share prices dropped by 3%. Everyone in the world knew what Jobs meant to Apple – he was the driving force behind their innovation, and it comes as no surprise that their success started when Jobs had returned to the company after a hiatus to rival firm (that was eventually bought by Apple) NeXT, reigniting the brand.
The iPod started off a string of products that had never been seen before. Critics speculated that no one would buy something that they didn’t know if they needed, but time after time, first with the iPod, then the iPhone and now the iPad, Apple seem to be experts in creating a new market in technology for products we seemingly had no need or desire for previously. It’s not that portable music players didn’t exist, but the way Apple innovated with iTunes and then the App Store differentiated the Apple products from the rest – seamlessly delivering outstanding customer service.
Even now the rest of the market seems to be behind. Apple release the iPhone, and other smart phones inevitably follow. The iPad is unveiled, and then the Blackberry Playbook, Motorola Xoom and Amazon Kindle follow. The App store, which is a driving force behind the success of Apple products, is followed by the Android app store.
All the while, it seemed somewhat painfully inevitable. After news emerged that Jobs had a long standing battle with pancreatic cancer (the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the world), and then his later resignation, the worst was feared, and unfortunately realised, this morning.
A world without Steve Jobs would be a different one. Would we have smart phones? Tablet computers? Would portable music be where it is today, being able to buy music with the click of a button? Would designers be frustratingly distressed, and subsequently balder, with the speed of Windows at work?
A driver of change, not only in what we do, but how we think, he inspired Apple employees company-wide and his fans alike. I’ll leave you with a quote from Jobs himself, which sums up his approach and the type of person he is perfectly:
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me”
Rest in peace.
