Posts Tagged "apple"

Steve Jobs, The Best Friend I Never Met

Posted by Larry Pollock on Oct 6, 2011 in Entrepreneur | 8 comments

Where to begin? Such incredible sadness in our house today.

Steve Jobs made that dent in the world that he was looking to do. He affected almost everyone on the planet in one way or another. Either directly by a product or indirectly by virtue of changing the technology industry forever.

Our journey with Apple and Steve began the day I received my first Mac in 1991. A used SE. Prior to that I would not touch a computer. I was not enamored with DOS. But a Mac… Now I could do this.

I didn’t’ know anything about computers, Apple, Steve or Woz. I only knew I liked this box and it made my life as an entrepreneur easier. Over the years I have had a number of Macs. We currently have 3 Macs in our house, 2 iPhones, 2 iPods, and Airport Extreme and a lot of Mac Software. The iPhone 4S will be a member of our family when they arrive later this month.

Notice I said “member of our family”. I know… It’s an inanimate object. But, it is integrated into our life so closely and everything we do each day that it is like a part of us. Our Macs are our window to the world and a way to communicate across continents with folks we would never meet otherwise. However you slice it, our Macs make us money. They are part of the business and the virtual world we work in. The connections we make are real and many times lead to meeting in person or via online live video. With the iPhone 4S we will even more closely knit ourselves together around the world with new or better communication abilities.

Did Steve see this in the beginning? Did he know with is uncanny sense that we would arrive here and find him waiting for us to catch up? Is he now leading the way to a place we all must go someday?

I don’t have proof but it seems somehow fitting that the new iPhone is called the 4S. Many folks where disappointed that it’s not called the iPhone 5. In retrospect I imagine they are feeling a bit sheepish right now. 4S = For Steve

S

Being part of the Apple Family for 20 years and attending events like MacWorld, watching Steve give his famous Keynotes we, Faith and I, felt like he was a friend and neighbor. We drank the coolaid, dove into being Mac Fans and loved every minute of it. We will continue to do so.

I never met Steve in person, shook his hand or thanked him directly for his contribution to my life. Maybe someday in some far off dimension I will have that chance. But I think he knows. How could he not? Today, just 24 hours since his passing the world seems shook to it’s core and not just Apple Fanboys are feeling it.

I have read only a small portion of the blogs and news article as well as the videos talking about Steve Jobs. I will link to a few at the bottom of this post for you. Walt Mossberg is one of my favs. If I could only have been a fly on his shoulder all those years he had with private, off the record meetings with Steve…

In the end, we are still here. And Steve would like us to keep moving forward like the Apple Team did, led by Tim Cook, at the Tuesday event. They knew the score for Steve. They even had a chair with a reserved sign on it for him.

People like Steve Jobs challenge us to be better, be creative, to make the world a better place. To bring magic into it. This is what Steve did for many of us. Helped us be like little children again and believe. For those who never understood the culture and fanaticism around Apple there is no explaining. You feel the magic or not.

No, there won’t be another Steve Jobs. Apple will be fine for the next 5 years as the plan is set and the vision imparted. After that the team at Apple will have to come into their own. Just like each of use must if we want to achieve anything in life.

Thanks Steve for inspiring us and giving us great tools and toys to play with. You will be missed!

“Don’t be sad because it ended, smile because it happened” Dr. Seuss

 

The WOZ on Steve 

Wald Mossberg – The Steve Jobs I knew

Ars Technica Article

Popularity: 90% [?]

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Goodbye Steve – Thanks for all the Fishes…

Posted by Larry Pollock on Aug 24, 2011 in Life | 5 comments

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

Steve

Popularity: 38% [?]

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