Computing and Apple Beyond Steve Jobs
With the death of the iconic iCEO of Apple, what is in store for Apple in the future? Who would now be the next innovator for the computing world?
The last time Steve Jobs was out of Apple was back in May of 1985. After that Apple fell into hard times and was at the brink of bankruptcy until Steve Jobs came back, saved the company and lead them again to their second golden age.
Jobs was a hands-on manager that supervises every aspect of their product. From aesthetics to software to hardware, Steve was there. He was famous for his temperamental style and perfectionism which worked for Apple. From this obsessive drive to produce the best appliance for Apple customers came the iPod, then the iPhone and the iPad. This strive was not seen from any technological firms anywhere.
How can one man make such a big impression in the world with technology? While Jobs did bring the iPhone, iPad and the iPod, he did not invent them alone. It was a group effort with Jobs taking the lead. All the technologies were not all Apple either. They use existing technologies, bundle them together and polish it until everything is just the way they want it; perfect. Touchscreen technology? Decades old but only when they have found a way to make it work more efficiently then added the touch gestures did it became revolutionary. iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, it was the first to make MP3 players simple for everyone with its spartan design.
Apple under Jobs was not about making new technology, it was about making existing technology work for common people and making it more elegant at the same time. They have made computers and devices work more like appliances. They didn't cater to programmers, developers or DIY enthusiasts. It wasn't about the fastest or cramming as many features as they can. They make products that work.
The challenge for Apple's now CEO Tim Cook is to match the brilliance of Steve Jobs. His challenge is to hold it all together and stay true to Apple's course of making technology accessible to everyone. His litmus test will be how Apple would make the new iPhone or a new better device that will replace the iPhone. Apple's test would be to go beyond touchscreen and take computing to the next level.
Many say that the computing will never be the same without Steve Jobs. But computing is never the same with Steve Jobs. Without an alpha innovator like him how will computing move forward? Will we just see machines getting faster and more powerful without any new application without him? The answer is no. Steve Jobs pointed a way to make computing accessible to everyone and made it mainstream.
We are there now and most likely someone will point another way to the next step, and the hitch is that there are many people out there who are doing exactly that. Computing has became a braver bolder world because of Steve Jobs. He has parted a piece of him to everyone and someone will take that piece and run with it. Steve Jobs' legacy lives on as long as people remember to run with their creativity.