Steve Jobs has died.

[Adam]

The excerpt that stood out to me was the description of the work environment in the Chinese plant making Apple products. It reminded me of a commercial...

Oh, the irony.

So, was he a great man? Depends on how you judge it. In some aspects, I'd say that he unquestionably was. In others, if that report is accurate, I'd say he wasn't. He drove a highly successful business, but it sounds like he wasn't that respectful of others. I believe that the truly great do both.

 

[jonnythan]

I don't think he was a "great man." He's not going to be on any lists of the greatest men of history.

But he is probably the single most important figure in the history of computing technology.

 

[Tarub]

Steve Jobs and....chose the name Apple for his company because he admired the Beatles’ Apple Records. This later led to a legal battle between Apple Corp, owned by Beatles band members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono. The dispute was settled later in February 2007.

Apple Corps v Apple Computer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Wayde Robson]

Okay... I'll jump in with my 2-cents.

Jobs is a hero to me. But I am no fan of Apple products, in fact I love to criticize them because… well… yes, they’re darned slick in so many ways - but they’re not revolutionary. Apple didn’t invent the MP3 player or the tablet, they just made it popular – in part I believe because of the Apple mystique.

When you get to the point where Gizmodo declares the 3.5-inch touchscreen is the “perfect” size for all humans… case closed… no need to think about it anymore it’s been finalized thanks to Apple… I just have to wince. Apple has become a sort-of high-tech Oligarchy. Is that the essence of “Think Different”?

Remember a few years ago when everything in hi-fi had to have an iPod port… now it’s the iPad. Personally, I resent it. Apple should too! The public loves to elevate and exalt a false God. But they will just as quickly tear it down. These days look at RIM, look at Toyota.

 

[haraldo]

I don't think anyone else than Steve Jobs could have released an MP3 player without a display, and calling, the lack of display... A FEATURE

This alone is a sensational marketing feat

 

[MinusTheBear]

Apples Factories

I can't say Steve Jobs and his products influenced my life in any way although I can see how he has influenced others.

With apple reporting massive amount of profits, their exploitation of Chinese labour and their working conditions is pretty scary. Manufacturing is not one of Steve Jobs success stories.

China: Steve Jobs death doesn't absolve Apple | GlobalPost

 

[Nemo128]

But he is probably the single most important figure in the history of computing technology.

Um, WHAT? Here's a very short list of people who are FAR more important:

Alan Turing - created the Turing machine?!?!
George Stibitz - first use of binary circuitry?!?!?!
von Neumann - stored-program architecture??!?!?!?
Chuck Thacker - lead the team that designed the Xerox Alto!?!?!?!???!?!

I could go on for a long time before I'd get to Jobs. I forgot, the general public's idea of "important" is "first MP3 player to sell a million units" and "first computer that looked good".

 

[haraldo]

Um, WHAT? Here's a
very short list of people who are FAR more important:

Alan Turing - created the Turing machine?!?!
George Stibitz - first use of binary circuitry?!?!?!
von Neumann - stored-program architecture??!?!?!?
Chuck Thacker - lead the team that designed the Xerox Alto!?!?!?!???!?!

I could go on for a long time before I'd get to Jobs. I forgot, the general public's idea of "important" is "first MP3 player to sell a million units" and "first computer that looked good".

Dave Cutler
- Project manager of OpenVMS Operating system
- Team lead and Project manager of Windows NT OS

Windows NT and descendants, Win 2000, XP, Win 7, Win Server..... has much broader impact than any Apple products ever.....

So Dave Cutler probably changed many more people's lives than Steve Jobs.....

There are 10 types of people, those who can count binary and those who don't

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Linus Torvalds - No need to explain this one...
Vinton Cerf - essentially father of all modern networking and internet (inventor of tcp/ip)

 

[haraldo]

James Gosling, Creator of Java, originally he called the language Oak, because he couldn't find a good name, and then he looked into the garden with this huge tree in front of him, and suddenly he had a name...... but later this name changed......

Bjarne Stroustrup
Father of C++ programming language.

 

[Chu Gai]

Um, WHAT? Here's a very short list of people who are FAR more important:

Alan Turing - created the Turing machine?!?!
George Stibitz - first use of binary circuitry?!?!?!
von Neumann - stored-program architecture??!?!?!?
Chuck Thacker - lead the team that designed the Xerox Alto!?!?!?!???!?!

I could go on for a long time before I'd get to Jobs. I forgot, the general public's idea of "important" is "first MP3 player to sell a million units" and "first computer that looked good".

Everyone builds in some way upon the work of others. Whatever value you want to assign to MP3 players or anything else Apple has made, Apple, either with or without Steve Jobs created jobs and opportunity that far extends past the corporation. If the corporation didn't have a strong philanthropic presence that doesn't negate the wealth and opportunity he created for umpteen thousands directly or indirectly.

My general understanding is his wife was involved in charitable endeavors. So what if he didn't partner up with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? If the foundation is of the opinion that malaria is a scourge, then why not drop a few million into DDT spraying while they're looking for alternate means of dealing with it?

 

[Theresa]

Politically I am more akin to Jobs than not, a dyed in the wool liberal/progressive. But, after extensive use (3 years) of an iMac became totally disenchanted with Apple. I went from Windows to OSX and back to Windows. I will no longer buy any Apple products and find the fans of Apple to be annoying in their worshipful attitude.
As for DDT, read Silent Spring, it nearly caused the extinction of birds of prey by softening their eggs.

 

[Chu Gai]

Politically I am more akin to Jobs than not, a dyed in the wool liberal/progressive. But, after extensive use (3 years) of an iMac became totally disenchanted with Apple. I went from Windows to OSX and back to Windows. I will no longer buy any Apple products and find the fans of Apple to be annoying in their worshipful attitude.
As for DDT, read Silent Spring, it nearly caused the extinction of birds of prey by softening their eggs.

Didn't do anything of the sort.