His legacy can be found everywhere. University libraries and classrooms are marked with the signature Apple logo, the streets are rampant with white earphones and travel will never be the same. We thank you, Steve Jobs, for your laptops with enduring battery life, for your iPod and the variety it allows and for your iPad, which keeps kids quiet on eight-hour transatlantic flights.
Steve Jobs was not a business whiz in the beginning; his accomplishments were not handed to him. He never graduated from college and was fired — although eventually re-hired — from Apple, his brainchild born in a California garage. Jobs spoke easily and eloquently, even when giving presentations on a global stage. In his token blue jeans and black mock turtleneck, he allowed the world a glimpse into his deep pool of imagination. He showed us that a university degree may not be the only way to achieve success and that sometimes you have to follow your heart and your gut.
Apple products are multi-faceted technologies that can meet the different needs of every different person. iPods range in memory, laptops range in size and everything ranges in price. Steve Jobs catered to individual needs: a young musician can store 40,000 songs on the largest 160GB model, while a grandfather can shuffle a few Beethoven classics. The gym seems to be where most white earphones are spotted. Whether lifting weights or doing cardio, people of all ages do so more enjoyably thanks to their iPods. Cheers, Mr. Jobs, for changing the way all generations listen to music.
Credit is also due to Jobs for making the purchase of music cool again. Thanks to Napster, we young folks were addicted to downloading and copying music straight from the Internet to our computers. iTunes allowed us to legally purchase music at a decent price without the threat of viruses or of getting radio-edited versions. With iTunes came the App Store, a solutions playground for any of life’s questions. The phrase “there’s an app for that” was coined because of Jobs, and because there is literally an app for that and everything else.
Steve Jobs is synonymous with 21st century technology. Although his life dated from 1955-2011, his legacy reads more like 1955-eternity. He will always be the original “Mac” daddy of the Apple family and an inspiration to everyone.
Thanks for everything, Steve Jobs.
Chelsea James mourns the loss of one of the greatest imaginations ever.
