I really don't intend to make this a eulogy, I'll really try not to.
My first tryst was with the Powerbook G4 or G3, I don't remember. My brother had got it from Australia in mid 2005 sometime, on his vacation. I didn't have a clue how to use the machine, I guess that is exactly why I was flummoxed. He let me use it purely for Garageband, and in the next few hours, I'd recorded bits of 3 songs. I'm not saying I was a wizard, I'm not saying that was the best software I ever used, but I'd say boy, it was fun using it.
6 years later, I own 4 of apple products, God has been very kind in that regard. I follow each minute detail of apple, their product launches, press conferences, the WWDC, its almost uncontrollable excitement, every time. The like I've only experienced when I'd to propose to my ex girlfriend, or when I'm on stage, ready to deliver my first song.
I can't even begin to say how my respect and admiration for Steve, grew, over the years. The way life took its course on him, the way he took back the reins of his life, the way he stood by (sometimes irritably), the way he innovated, just about everything. Maybe, most of the things. Its actually unfair to sum up his achievements and his vision in a few words, by somebody who just admires him, knowing nothing about technology and marketing.
Just a few days back, before the iPhone 4S released, I was thinking that all great people we have today are old. They created their own mights, in their fields. We all look upto them. It was a very disturbing thought that they were old and vulnerable and if I may, fragile. It would surely create a void, in their absence. Voids aren't always good. Even if there are people ready to fill in, it'll take an awfully lot of time for me to imagine them filling a void. They could create a new aura instead. But voids remain.
Least did I expect Steve Jobs to fall in that category. I mean, its unreal. Though he has battled for life, for quite a long time, as per media reports, I had always assumed that he is weak, as he looked during the launch of the iPad 2. But never had I assumed that his end was this near. I was glad he took over as chairman and made it publicly known that he won't be able to do justice to his earlier position. Still it didn't strike me. Maybe Steve knew. Maybe.
I have lamented quite a lot that I had never been able to experience the nerve breaking excitement that I'd (partly for Tim) during the last iPhone 4S event, earlier, to witness the iPod being launched in 2001. But I've youtube atleast, that has documented it. For which I can't thank enough.
I've heard people exclaim in awe, I've heard people rue about apple's policies, I've heard Jobs himself say that death is the only thing that we all share. But let me reiterate, its really unfair for someone like me, in fact, I'll take the liberty of saying that its unfair for any of us to summarize his achievements, his visions, his inventions and his aspirations in a few words, a few hours after his death. Its hard to imagine that only 4 years back, the phone was reinvented. Maybe there was a touchscreen akin to iPhone earlier, but its not about a new product. Its all about a new idea for an old product. I don't think it was ever easy to challenge a behemoth like windows.
He was arrogant, he was a taskmaster, he was someone whom you probably don't want as your boss. But he was a genius, he was brave, he was, is and will be admired by generations to come.
My first tryst was with the Powerbook G4 or G3, I don't remember. My brother had got it from Australia in mid 2005 sometime, on his vacation. I didn't have a clue how to use the machine, I guess that is exactly why I was flummoxed. He let me use it purely for Garageband, and in the next few hours, I'd recorded bits of 3 songs. I'm not saying I was a wizard, I'm not saying that was the best software I ever used, but I'd say boy, it was fun using it.
6 years later, I own 4 of apple products, God has been very kind in that regard. I follow each minute detail of apple, their product launches, press conferences, the WWDC, its almost uncontrollable excitement, every time. The like I've only experienced when I'd to propose to my ex girlfriend, or when I'm on stage, ready to deliver my first song.
I can't even begin to say how my respect and admiration for Steve, grew, over the years. The way life took its course on him, the way he took back the reins of his life, the way he stood by (sometimes irritably), the way he innovated, just about everything. Maybe, most of the things. Its actually unfair to sum up his achievements and his vision in a few words, by somebody who just admires him, knowing nothing about technology and marketing.
Just a few days back, before the iPhone 4S released, I was thinking that all great people we have today are old. They created their own mights, in their fields. We all look upto them. It was a very disturbing thought that they were old and vulnerable and if I may, fragile. It would surely create a void, in their absence. Voids aren't always good. Even if there are people ready to fill in, it'll take an awfully lot of time for me to imagine them filling a void. They could create a new aura instead. But voids remain.
Least did I expect Steve Jobs to fall in that category. I mean, its unreal. Though he has battled for life, for quite a long time, as per media reports, I had always assumed that he is weak, as he looked during the launch of the iPad 2. But never had I assumed that his end was this near. I was glad he took over as chairman and made it publicly known that he won't be able to do justice to his earlier position. Still it didn't strike me. Maybe Steve knew. Maybe.
I have lamented quite a lot that I had never been able to experience the nerve breaking excitement that I'd (partly for Tim) during the last iPhone 4S event, earlier, to witness the iPod being launched in 2001. But I've youtube atleast, that has documented it. For which I can't thank enough.
I've heard people exclaim in awe, I've heard people rue about apple's policies, I've heard Jobs himself say that death is the only thing that we all share. But let me reiterate, its really unfair for someone like me, in fact, I'll take the liberty of saying that its unfair for any of us to summarize his achievements, his visions, his inventions and his aspirations in a few words, a few hours after his death. Its hard to imagine that only 4 years back, the phone was reinvented. Maybe there was a touchscreen akin to iPhone earlier, but its not about a new product. Its all about a new idea for an old product. I don't think it was ever easy to challenge a behemoth like windows.
He was arrogant, he was a taskmaster, he was someone whom you probably don't want as your boss. But he was a genius, he was brave, he was, is and will be admired by generations to come.
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