I don’t own any Apple products, and never have, but it is hard to deny the effect that Steve Jobs has had on things I take for granted.
My android phone is better because of Steve Jobs. No, he didn’t invent the smartphone, but he made it better, simpler, and made it part of the mainstream.
My music is purchases legally and inexpensively via download because of Steve Jobs. I, like many music fans, was an avid user of Napster. Steve Jobs dragged the music industry, kicking and screaming, into the twenty-first century.
The mp3 player that I used before I got my current phone was as good as it was, because of Steve Jobs. I love my Zune HD. Again, the iPod was not the first mp3 player, and iTunes was not the the first media player and online music store, but they made things simpler, easier and they “just worked.”
The Podcasts that I listen to daily owe their popularity and ease of access to the creations of Steve Jobs. Yes, online media existed before iTunes, but there was no easy way to find it, aggregate it, and have it automatically delivered to subscribers.
He has left an undeniable mark on the world of technology, and provided inspiration to thousands innovators, and I have no doubt that we will feel the effect that he has had for many years to come.
Today is a sad day.