Steve Jobs Steps Down

Steve Jobs, two days after his resignation announcement.

Say what you will about Apple, but Steven Jobs was a major portion of the creation of a company that, at one point, made more money than the federal government in a given day recently.

Jobs, with Steve Wozniak, started Apple in 1976, with Ronald Wayne. Wayne sold his shares in the company back to Jobs and Wozniak in 1977 for $800. One word: mistake.

Wozniak initially hand-built the first computers. And Apple first introduced actual 5.25-inch "floppy" discs which, then, truly were floppy. I wish I still had the ones I used back then, just for kicks. Apple invented the "mouse." Apple invented the GUI, graphic user interface -- as opposed to DOS.

With Steve Jobs stepping aside for clear health reasons, thus ends and closes a massive door in the computer world. Jobs was a master in terms of marketing, branding and ideas.

I can recall purchasing my brand new Mac IIcx in 1989, having to physically drive to Cupertino in order to buy it. I paid $6,000 for my Mac IIcx, which included an IBM-type full keyboard, Apple color monitor and b&w Apple Imagewriter. For $6K, I acquired 1 meg of RAM and a 40 meg hard drive. And I was sitting on top of the computer world.

After some challenging times, Apple now is known not just for quality products held apart from others, but the simple physical elegance and -- not so unimportant -- their packaging as well. Open an iPod or iPhone and you'll find true elegance and quality in presentational packaging.

These days, I purchased an iMac for my wife this year, and I have a 15" MacBook Pro purchased for me by my wife. I find, having used PCs for so long, that the Apple system isn't quite as "intuitive" as they promise. That said, there is no doubt that Apple is still a powerhouse in the computer and electronics world, and highly profitable as well.

I fear that Mr Jobs won't last the year. I suspect he has either cancer or AIDS, diseases that are terrible and relentless.

Mr Jobs was a major force in the creation and revitalization of personal computers. He changed a generation and, as such, helped to literally change the world. God bless, sir.

BZ