Steve Jobs: The Henry Ford of Our Generation
October 6, 2011
By now, I’m sure everyone is aware of the unfortunate passing of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. However, few are aware of his contributions to the way we live our lives today. “ Contributions”
may be too soft of a word… he actually shaped much of the modern world we’re now familiar with.
Steve was not only a visionary, but a rare type of visionary that actually acted on his ideas and beliefs. Instead of going with the flow, he would start at the beginning of an established concept and carve his own path. Apple’s company slogan: “Think”, is very profound. Progress isn’t made by following existing ideas. Progress comes from thinking of new ways, and Steve demanded everyone around him to follow this mantra. This philosophy not only produced amazing products, it shaped an entire generation:
In 1976, Steve Jobs partnered with his friend Steve Wozniak
and founded Apple Computer in Steve’s garage. Wozniak was a wiz with newly available integrated circuit boards and chips, and Jobs had a vision of everyone owning their own “personal computer.” They created the Apple I — it was a circuit filled wooden box with no monitor that sold for $666.66 (because Wozniak liked repeating digits).- The next year, Jobs introduced the Apple II. It was considered one of the most advanced computers for personal use available. Within a few years, Jobs was worth over $100 million and showing up on the cover of Time Magazine.
- In the early 80’s, Steve visited Xerox and noticed they had developed an experimental computer system with a graphical interface ( GUI ). This interface used icons instead of text to command the computer. In an exchange that basically consisted of Jobs asking “Hey, you mind if I use that idea?” and Xerox saying “Yeah, go nuts, it’s worthless anyway…”, Jobs released the Macintosh: the first commercial computer to use a GUI AND a new input device called a “mouse”. The Macintosh was introduced to the world in an iconic commercial during the 1984 Super Bowl. The commercial was only televised once, with the rest of the showings being in theaters before movies.
- Steve’s legendary “abrasive” personality got him voted out of Apple in the mid-80’s. He decided to purchase a small computer graphics company from George Lucas. You may have heard its name: Pixar. Steve directed the technology advancement and the concepts that gave them the ability to make films like Toy Story, Cars, The Incredibles, and more.
- Steve founded a new tech company called NeXT that made high end computers sporting innovative designs. The idea was to blend art and technology together, and resulted in odd cube-shaped workstations made of pressed magnesium. A new operating system based on UNIX was created for the computers. With a pricetag of $6500 + options, the company ended up being a massive failure…or it would seem.
By the late 90’s, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Macintosh, while a critical success, never took off due to price wars with IBM compatible computers. A Mac cost nearly twice the cost of a more powerful Compaq or Packard Bell PC. Steve Jobs was invited back to try and save the company. He brought his visions and technology, Apple bought NeXT for $427 million, and Steve became CEO again in September 1997.- 1998 gave introduction to the iMac. There was never anything like it on the market before: bubbly, neon plastic designs with an integrated monitor and a “hockey puck” mouse caused quite a stir. Steve’s concept of mixing art and technology was a huge hit. The “i” in front of the product name indicated “this device is personalized for me.” This concept started Apple on the road to what it is today.
- The operating system Steve brought from NeXT became OS X. It was first used on servers, then a version was ported to the iMac. Its very simple, colorful, and animated desktop has influenced all operating systems since. Windows Vista and Windows 7 both borrow heavily from the OS X design.
2003 was the year that changed everything. Small electronic devices that played MP3 music files had been around for years at that point. They tended to be clunky and required a lot of technical knowledge to operate. Steve’s strength was simplifying — let the technology do the work so anyone can use the device. iTunes and the iPod were released. Not only were they smash hits, they also planted the seeds for today’s modern Internet in an unexpected fashion.- In 2007, Apple released the iPhone and the iPod Touch. These devices were the turning point of the entire tech industry. The iPod Touch was marketed as a premium music player, but that turned out to be a secondary feature. It ran a compact version of the OS X operating system, so it was in fact a hand held computer. The iPhone was not only a tiny computer, but a cell phone as well. Both devices could run software…called “Apps”…downloaded from the iTunes store. Not only were both devices a hit, they also made us rethink everything from software distribution to system designs. iTunes became a hub to distribute music, video, games, Apps, and more. The distribution design of iTunes has influenced companies from Amazon to Netflix, giving us unprecedented access to books, media, and movies.
- 2010 brought about another breakthrough: the iPad. Essentially a giant-sized iPod Touch, the product met with a few chuckles and bewilderment when it was introduced. The iPad turned out to be the product a lot of people wanted, they just didn’t realize it at the time. It made the Internet as accessible as opening a book: turn it on and you’re there. No complicated buttons, no wait, it just worked. The iPad brought the Internet to a whole new segment of people who previously would not even consider using a computer. It started the tablet revolution we’re seeing today.
The comparison to Henry Ford is an apt one. It is rare that one person can have so much influence and shape the world for the better. Ford revolutionized transportation, making people and places more accessible. Jobs did the same thing, making information and knowledge more accessible. Steve made us think differently about everything. Cloud computing came about from the concept of iTunes and light weight apps. Smartphones used to be for business people checking email, now 1 out of every 4 of us use one as their primary way of accessing the Internet. Electronics are thinner, more efficient, and look better because of Apple’s design influence. Products are more functional as everything runs Apps these days: TV’s, Blu-ray players, watches…even cars and kitchen appliances. Wireless internet is now accessible in more places because of iPhone and iPad demand.
I, for one, am enjoying the scenery on the trail Steve Jobs has laid out for us. All I can say is: Thank You.
TOAST.net is excited to offer 4 new Business Broadband plans
TOAST.net is excited to announce 3 new Business Fiber Plans
TOAST.net has added two new residential Fiber Internet plans!
This coming Monday, Aug. 17th, we will be switching to universal pricing -- one price for all DSL speeds (around $65) and one price for Fiber (around $90). So if anyone is thinking they could use one of our basic service plans, now's the time to order. For example: DSL - 12 Mbps for $43.95/month - Great for seniors on a fixed income. Plenty of speed for surfing the web, checking email, and streaming for 1 or 2 TVs. Fiber - 60 Mbps for $45.00/month - Awesome solution for just about any household. Note that fiber is a new technology and only about 20% of the country can get it. Check your address to see what service you qualify for and order by Sunday, 8/16/20! This is your last chance to lock in the speed and price of a great DSL or Fiber plan before they are grandfathered!
Google Meet is now free for everyone. Check out TOAST.net's blog that tells you more about Google Meet usage at your home or office.
Google - Meet Meet is video conference software, similar to Zoom. To help businesses, schools, and people around the world navigate remote life, Google is making Meet free for everyone with availability rolling out over the coming weeks. See Google's blog post for details. SolarWinds - Take Control You may need to run applications off your PC or server at the office. In that case, SolarWinds makes makes an easy-to-use application that allows home users to remote desktop to their PC in the office. It's secure and doesn't require special hardware, a static IP, or VPN. We're offering this software free of charge for 90 days. Please contact us if interested.
This week we've taken quite a few calls from companies asking how their employees and staff can work from home (WFH). We're happy to offer several WFH solutions to help organizations mitigate health risks to employees and customers. TOAST.net understands how important it is to keep your employees connected, productive, and safe during this unprecedented pandemic. Here are the services we have to help your business through this difficult time : Business Portal is a 'home page' for your browser that improves communication and efficiencies within your organization. It's a private Intranet that features company news, announcements, links to vendors and cloud apps, an employee schedule, and more! We offer this at no charge to our customers. Visit https://start.toast.net Google's G Suite - TOAST.net is an authorized reseller of G Suite, a cloud-based collaboration tool featuring Email, Calendar, Chat, Hangouts (video conferencing), and Drive. You can create files, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with just your browser (no software to install) and share these with fellow workers, customers, and vendors. More info Remote Desktop - an easy-to-use application that allows home users to connect to PCs in the office. It's secure and doesn't require special hardware or a static IP. We're offering this free of charge for 90 days. High-speed Internet for Home - We provide residential Cable, DSL, and Fiber Internet service . So you can pay for your employee's Internet connection on your business invoice. Please contact us if you're interested in any of these services. B est wishes to everyone to stay healthy, safe, and upbeat as we socially distance ourselves for a quick end to this situation. Note: Our customer support team continues to work their regular hours. We operate support teams in multiple locations and, while there may be some disruption at certain locations for a limited time, overall we do not expect any significant change in access to support.
In the month after Christmas, we’ve seen a high demand for our Internet service with unlimited data. Much of it is from people wanting to use their new streaming device (Fire Stick, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, etc.) to cancel their expensive cable TV service. This is commonly referred to as “cutting the cord.”
TOAST.net is pleased to announce fiber Internet service in 12 new metro areas:
Moved Facebook link from top bar to the Popular Sites section. Added Yahoo Finance to the Personal Finance section. Yahoo Finance is one of the largest business news web sites in the United States by monthly traffic.
