He was the epitome of the American Dream. One of the greatest innovators of all time. This coming from someone that only has one Apple product.
What was amazing is that he -- conceptually at least -- didn't invent MP3 players or Smartphones. But he perfected those innovations and branded them in such a way that made them appealing to mass audiences. Edit: Can't forget Steve Wozniak either.
Good read from the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/business/steve-jobs-of-apple-dies-at-56.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
Holy Crap - RIP. One of the great innovators of all time - knew how to invent to solve unarticulated problems and literally changed the world.
I would argue that what you describe is innovation, vs. invention. He wasn't a great inventor necessarily, but was one hell of an innovator - taking those inventions of others and innovating, driving the technology forward to the market with greater potential.
I feel compelled to go all Debbie Downer/UTGibbs in this thread. Why do we hero-worship a man for simply being a successful businessman? What about the ills of designed obsolescence and conflict mineral extraction that he in effect brought to the mainstream?
Who was the first person to go... "Hm, I wonder what Westboro thinks about this?" Seriously, who? Because that asshat should be suspended from the Internet.
Those westboro idiots need to be drawn and quartered. Don't forget all the other things Steve Jobs had his hand in. First laptop with firewire/wifi, innovations at Pixar, The GUI was his brainchild.
Poor ole Michael Oher didn't even know who he was. Michael Oher Would Appreciate It If You'd Tell Him Who This Steve Jobs Guy Was
Definitely. His greatest skill was seeing how particular technologies and given trends in society blended together to solve unarticulated consumer problems. He saw the links and potential that others could not see and had the persistence to push that vision.
It is hugely ironic to me when I sit in a political ecology course, listen to self-described communists rail against the consumer culture and the harm it does in the form of unfair and environmentally-degrading resource extraction while sitting in front of their Mac laptops.
