RIP Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Steve Jobs, one of the last great showmen of American Business

Steve Jobs died today. I can't believe it. I feel so sad right now. What he gave to the world and consumers of technology in particular is truly immeasurable. I remember buying my first Mac, one of the first Titanium PowerBooks, nearly a decade ago. Right away, you were made to feel like you were part of something special. You were made to feel that you had joined a creative community of writers, artists, graphic designers and others whose work was made a lot easier by the fact we were using technology that just let us work without the usual distractions and frustrations associated with Windows at the turn of the millennium.

As a consumer, he always seemed to have our interests at heart with amazing innovations like the iTunes store. I mean who could imagine buying an album for $9.99 or a song for $.99 a pop before 2003? Certainly not me. I can remember gathering at the Apple Store in Albany, NY that year for the big announcement, where you could watch a video stream right there in the store. I can't remember doing anything like that at any other retail establishment, before or since.

No one brought the kind of excitement to the field of technology that he did. I know I'm rambling right now, so I'll stop here. We lost a huge force for good in the world of technology today, a world that will never be the same because of it.