There's something about Apple from Clean & Simple Scrapbooking, 2005. Click on the image to see it larger in a new window.
Tuesday night the Zielske family went out to dinner at Famous Dave's barbecue. I was tired and a little cranky from my decision to start drinking decaf that very morning and I had zero ideas up my sleeve for dinner. I'd been working furiously all day, trying to get back into the groove of class development for Big Picture Classes. I was spent and wanted food followed immediately by rest.
We returned home just in time for the beginning of the Boot Camp episodes on the X Factor. It was my one night of the week without sports games, practices or play rehearsals. I happily hunkered down for some serious couch time.
Then Aidan came downstairs with a confused look on her face, and she asked, "Did something happen to Steve Jobs?"
The next thing I know, I'm staring at the Apple home page, and the tears just came, surprising me with their intensity. I was overwhelmed with sadness.
You see, I'm a Mac.
It started in the computer lab at the University of Texas–Arlington in 1987 when these adorable little beige boxes starting popping up as we started learning how to make resumes and cover letters.
It continued in 1988 when working at my first corporate job, the company announced, to much grumbling from the old school, the advertising department was "Going Mac."
And still it continued in 1990 when I landed my first job in Minnesota, which evolved into my first design job. We published a monthly corporate magazine on a Mac Classic with a 9-inch screen featuring New Baskerville type. I'd never felt so much love for any inanimate object in my entire life.
The years passed. I oversaw upgrade after upgrade in my corporate realm. I bought my first Mac for home in 1992—a used Mac IIsi with no internal hard drive. I remember distinctly freaking out beyond measure when I turned in on only to see the dreaded Sad Mac.
A Quadra 700 followed that. Then an iBook. Next, a G3. Then a MacBook Pro. A G4. Another MacBook. And finally, my big silver dual core, 8 gig MacPro.
Then there were the iPods, Nanos and Shuffles. Of course there was the iPad, and finally, an iPhone.
Every single cent I've spent adding this technology to my life has paid me back and then some. From giving me the tools to be an effective, creative graphic designer to making my runs less tedious via my hot pink Nano, simply stated, Apple has contributed to both my professional success and personal happiness.
But it's not just the life improvements. It's more than that. It's the personalization. It's the beautiful design. It's the elegance and beauty and simplicity. It's the chungggg when you turn it on. And it's the unshakable feeling of belonging to something really, really special.
What Steve Job helped to create has been a critical part of my life—the part where I got to try and grow up and be somebody. What he created helped to change and shape what I was able to do with my life.
Apple is part of what made me who I am today.
That would explain the tears and the sadness.
That reminds me of how grateful I am.
So thank you Steve Jobs, wherever you are.
Jenny in Wellington, New Zealand says
he’s in iHeaven 🙂
Lisa says
I think we are all in iHeaven with him and because of him. Thank you Steve.
Pamela K. says
We all were saddened in this household at the news of Steve Jobs death. RIP Steve Jobs.
Melissa says
I have also been very iSad since learning of the death of Mr. Jobs. Although I’ve had an iPod for several years, and my son is on his fourth iPod, I just got my first Mac (MacBookPro) this past March. All I could say was, “Where have you been all my life”? My husband has promised iPhones for Christmas and I can’t wait! But despite the love I feel for my new computer, and the ease with which it holds all my photos, my real love is still my first iPod. I was a music major and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t listen to something. And I fully admit to having in iPod full of classical music, among other things. But many, many years ago, after my parents divorced, I was living in DC and once a month I drove three hours south on Friday afternoons to pick up my little brother and drive him back to DC to visit our Dad for the weekend. On Sunday, I would make the return trip. My brother would play “DJ” in the car and armed with a huge supply of cassette tapes, he would switch out the music and play all of our favorite tunes. Fast forward to September 2011. Thanks to the Army, I’m living only four hours away from my brother (and in the same state) for the first time in 20 years. We traveled to attend a family reunion in North Carolina one weekend last month, so my brother drove over from Pittsburgh and picked me up and together we made the trip down and back (8 hours each way). This time, it was MY turn to play “DJ”, but this time we had both of our iPods — over 2,000 songs to choose from! We were, simply, in heaven and those 16 hours flew by as we took a walk down memory lane and played all our favorite tunes from childhood. It was the best 16 hours I’ve spent with my brother in a long, long time as we talked and laughed and listened to all of our favorite songs and introduced each other to new music. Anyone who saw us both singing “Fantasy” by Earth Wind & Fire or “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot or “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ E Z Rock” all at the top of our lungs, must have thought we were crazy. Steve Jobs made that possible. And the more I think about it, the more I am floored by this. Sure, we had tapes back in the day, but not enough to fill up 16 hours of music, and certainly not all at my fingertips. I marvel at what he did. So simple, yet so complex. And I am forever thankful. May he rest in peace.
Kendra B says
I’m also a Mac. I’m also very sad.
Honore says
I am a relative newcomer to Mac – just got an iMac three weeks ago and have the iPhone and IPad…I see very clearly what captivates people. Best of all, I love the customer service and support- superb!
Thanks for sharing your memories. A lovely tribute to Steve Jobs.
ErikaB says
Amen Sister! Steve Jobs made me fall in love with the computer and in the old days as it was called “desktop publishing.” Thank you, Steve. Isad too!
Colleen says
Cathy, thank you for putting into words what I’ve been trying to figure out how to say. I started on Macs in 1987 too and have never looked back. I don’t entirely understand why I feel so devastated by the passing of a man I never personally knew. But I am. I think it’s because there was a little piece of Steve in everything he made. For that reason, maybe I knew him more than I thought I did. Thanks again.
Nicole Beltane says
Cathy so well said..
Melissa, i have tears streaming down my cheeks, what a special time you and your brother must of had.
it was only this year that i got my iMac, but it has changed my life, and way of thinking. i couldn’t live without my iPad, and it was on that that i read of Steve’s passing.
he will be missed by so many. People have said on Facebook “so he died why is it so important”, the important part is he lived and he changed the way we live and connect to each other.
K Hogarth says
I had the same reaction. I turned on my computer and hit my Safari link that automatically takes me to the Apple site and the next thing I know there was a picture of Steve Jobs staring at me. I was startled that tears started streaming down my face. I am so sad that the world lost such a visionary thinker and just so thankful for all he has done.
Sue says
I echo everyone else’s thoughts. The world lost someone who still had so much to contribute to us. I too am horribly sad to have lost someone I don’t even know, but whose concepts, ideas and words inspire me every day.
Barb says
Lovely words, CZ… I’m struck by the awesomeness of my Apple-filled world as of late. I have The Clash blaring in my ears as I read your blog (love my iPhone!) and connect with you, someone whom I’ve never met irl but feel strongly connected to, partially because of our love of good design and, thus, all things Apple. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Barbara Eads says
I couldn’t agree with you more. In fact, yesterday, (or maybe it was Wednesday night—I’m still in shock) when you posted your fond farewell on Facebook, I thought to myself—“I can’t believe Cathy is such a whimp!” You only posted the Apple logo which, I suppose is “free”—while I had already, handily, drug Steve’s iconic picture to my blog for my farewell post to him. Then I decided to “cut you a break”—you’re a professional with a big career that you can’t afford to lose with a copyright infringement! Me, I’m just a “little guy” with this keen love for everything Apple. In fact, you and I met once in Birmingham. I specifically talked to you right before a class about how you handle the fact that we are Mac users in a pc world. It was a fun conversation. There’s just something about us Mac users—it’s a language we can understand about each other without having to explain—and there’s something special about Steve Jobs too. I have to believe that he has left much of his genius behind in the pipeline for us.
PS I LOVE how Apple has handled the homepage! I’m going to be using that photo in an upcoming layout. I’m totally about the stories.
Dorothy F says
So well said. Thank you for expressing my feelings as well.
Martha S. says
Your words are very touching! My first Mac experience was in photo journalism class in high school in the early 1990s. Though I’d LOVE to have a Mac (ANY Mac) now, I simply can’t afford it. I do have an iPhone and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. One day, when I grow up (and I am 35 already), I will have a Mac. LOL! 🙂
I think what saddens me about Steve’s passing is that he was one example of the embodiment of the American dream. He started out with nothing but an incredible idea and look at how he persevered and that idea then revolutionized the world. Oh that there would be dozens more just like him in our country to get us out of this slump!
RIP Steve Jobs and thanks Cathy for sharing your thoughts with us.
Nancy McPeak says
I have the same feelings, Cathy. I never met him but I just liked him. I always listened to his keynotes – despite being made fun of and called a geek! He was fascinating, brilliant, real. Because of him, at the age of 53, I watched the movie Up (he said it was his favorite) and I loved it. I listened to how someone else survived with cancer – and survived in such a positive way. He inspired and motivated ME. I have iPods, iPhones, and an iPad. Last week, I finally bought a beautiful iMac. Goodbye PCs. I am Mac all the way. Thanks, Cathy! You are awesome.
Sabrina says
Beautifully written, Cathy. I’m a convert, a fairly old convert but not in-bred or even a creative professional like you. Regardless, I’m a Mac. And I felt overcome with a sadness that was real but felt so weird – I’ve never met this man and try to think of ‘things’ as just that – things. But if you’re a Mac, then Apple things are NOT things – they are a part of who you are. And my MBP, iPad, iPod(s) and iPhone are very much a part of me.
I pray for the Jobs family and their friends who have done a remarkable job of upholding the dignity and privacy that he yearned for. I pray for the employees, that they continue to feel and see his vision. And I pray that someday, in some fashion, our world will know someone else with that kind of talent, and passion, and vision, and compassion.
Angie Hall says
Well said, Cathy. Your post has made me walk down Mac memory lane, too. I was first introduced to the Mac (can’t remember which model) while working as a reporter at a small newspaper in North Carolina. The publisher was so thrilled to have these “new things called Macs. They aren’t just for writing your stories,” he’d said. Then later in LA, I worked for BBDO Advertising, that briefly held the Apple account. As a poor newlywed, it was great that if I worked five minutes after 5 p.m., then the Apple account folks got to order dinner from any restaurant in town and charge it to Apple! I always tell the kids that Steve Jobs bought dinner for us every time I worked overtime!
Later, as a freelance copy editor, I went through several Macs. I even kissed one of mine once, for what reason I can’t recall.
Last Tuesday night, I was sitting with the kids trying to force Malcolm to eat edamame beans. I suddenly said, “I don’t think Steve Jobs is going to make it till the end of the year.” I just had a feeling. An hour later, my nine-year-old starts up my Macbook Pro to get in some computer time before his mandatory shower. Then he yells, “Steve Jobs died, Mom. He died!”
We were all heartbroken and sleep that night did not come easy.
Peggy says
I too am a Mac, but after some dalliances being PC. See, I started in the ’70’s working on the old mainframes, doing punched tape & cards. In the ’80’s we saw the DEC Rainbow come into our office. Then a “portable” 8088 (it had a 9″ screen too). My DH & I contemplated buying a Mac when our daughter was born because “she will need to know how to use it when she gets to school.” That was 1983. We didn’t buy the Mac as we were in a recession at the time. But by the time she got to school, the school had one Mac for each two students by 6th grade in workstations, not desks. Yeah, mid ’90’s. I finally about 6 years ago went Mac myself – which you must understand, I *sell* PCs. And I would be “bilingual” as far as I can see because of my job. Steve Jobs’ vision and Apple made the computer intuitive. Macs just are. I expect the company will continue that vision.
Aliza says
We are not a Mac family at all. Though, my son just got and ipod, and I, and iphone. But, still, I was truly saddened by his death. I find it beautiful and moving the way one person’s creativity and vision can shape the world, and so many people’s experiences.
melissa jones says
Cathy
I always love reading your blog… I am mac too, graphic design school did it to me, and I have never personally owned anything else (my ex-husband does cad work so he was on a pc) just this summer i got my first mac book pro after a couple of versions of the imac (still have the bondi blue one) and my first iphone (thanks verizon)… my heart is heavy and it was my son who called me to tell me Steve Jobs had died, you see, we are a two generation mac family. Steve Jobs influenced what i do on a day to day basis, and when things get tough, as they invariably do, i am always reminded that even Steve Jobs gets fired, from his own company Apple and that lead to Pixar …. he was a visionary, whose ideas will impact every generation to come. What an incredible man and and incredible life.
Susan says
I am so glad you wrote this because I have been in tears on and off for 24 hours now. I have been a computer lover since I was a child. I got my first Commodore 64 for Christmas and remember writing simple programs in BASIC with my little brother for hours. I went to an engineering high school and learned FORTRAN. My last year of high school, they got a new computer lab with these awesome new Macs. I was in love. I got my first Mac with a student loan program (they were so expensive back then) and it was an LC. I progressed to a Quadra/Centris. During the dark years of Apple, I begrudgingly moved to a PC. After Jobs returned to Apple I excitedly switched back to an iMac. From there I have owned and still own a MacPro tower, Macbook Pro, iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone and an iPad. I have read a lot in the past 24 hours about how Steve brought a gorgeous design aesthetic to Apple and that is very true…however, I think something that gets lost in all these discussions is that Apple products are not only gorgeous, innovative and hip, but THEY ALSO JUST WORK. I have to explain to my PC friends that computers aren’t supposed to crash, lock up and get infected by viruses. These are regular occurrences with PC/Windows products. I am not trying to hate on Microsoft or anything, but I just want to point out that part of the reason Mac users are so fanatical about their products is because THEY WORK!
I am completely devastated by Steve’s death. I have such great memories surrounding Apple. The excitement of getting these products from the store or delivered to my home. Opening them up and hearing the BONG! Plug and play. I feel like a piece of my childhood or young adulthood has died and I am just sad. I think we all know that Apple will be fine for the foreseeable future because so much of Steve’s ethos has been baked into the current team. At the same time, I think we also know that we probably are going to miss out on products and innovations that only Steve could dream up. Yes, we are still going to get good stuff….damn good stuff….but are we going to get GREAT stuff? Will it be missing that extra umph that Steve demanded and expected from his team? I am not so sure. And that is what makes me so sad. He was a brilliant innovator that pushed tech forward. He and Apple set the agenda for the tech industry for the past 15 years. The rest of the companies have been following Apple’s lead.
His life was an amazing story. Talk about the ultimate comeback kid. His story of perseverance is one for the ages and one we’ll all being using to teach our kids about the benefits of failure. Get up, dust yourself off, and try again. Work hard. Believe in yourself. Be unique.
I am heartbroken. He was one in a million…probably a billion. Good luck on your journey on that most Infinite Loop. I miss you already.
Sharon says
Cathy, you so eloquently stated exactly what I was thinking. I’ve been an Apple groupie since ’86, when I got my first Mac II (with a 40MB hard drive)!! Although I didn’t know Steve personally, his passing felt like a death in the family. Since he was only one year older than me, we were contemporaries and now another of ‘my own’ is gone. He will be greatly missed by the world. I’m so thankful for all he brought into this graphic designer’s life.
Christie says
Beautiful post! I could not believe how hard the news hit me. I had tears, I felt melancholy, I couldn’t even do my LOAD challenge that day. Apple products have become integral in our lives and even my two year old loves the iPad and learns so much from it. I felt like a bit of a wimp, but then I started reading other people’s blogs and realized I was not alone. We’ve lost someone who changed our lives for the better and the future seems a little less bright.
Tanya says
Love the simplicity of the apple hme page with Steve’s photo. Crisp, clean, powerful.
cathy says
A marvel indeed.
cathy says
Angie, I think the fact that computer users are walking down memory lane says it all. These computers and gadgets are simply woven into our lives in such a meaningful way.
cathy says
This just made me tear up again. Jeez. I was going to echo the they just work thing, but now your line about the most Infinite Loop got me. I miss him already too.
Bec Kilgore says
I have wept and thought a whole lot about losing him. As a nurse, I have been amazed at how long he lived so fully after his initial diagnosis. No doubt about it he was an amazing man on so many levels.
My first computer was an Apple IIe. i think I got it in 1983. It cost a small fortune. I loved it.
When he was pushed out of Apple and the stock tanked I believed that Steve Jobs would one day swoop back on the Apple campus and save the day. The fulfillment of my hope turned into something that I could have never even imagined much less executed.
Amazing.
Laura Vanderbeek says
Goodness. I’m glad I’m not the only one who cried.
Kim says
I couldn’t agree more.
Laurie says
I wrote my dissertation on a Mac Classic. I could only open up half of the dissertation at a time because of memory issues but I still have fond memories of that computer-my very first computer.
Kasandra says
Melissa, what a beautiful memory! Thanks for sharing and I hope you scrap this one, you’ve got all the journaling done!!!
Carolyn Egerszegi says
This post made me cry almost as much as learning of Steve Job’s death did. I thought I was nuts for feeling sad about it, but the technology he (and his amazing team at Apple) created is a huge part of my ability to be successful as a photographer and to enjoy life in general. I am grateful for everything his innovative and industrious spirit was not only able to dream up, but to actually put in my hands. Thanks to Steve Jobs – iHeaven just got a major upgrade.
chris says
So beautifully said, Cathy. I remember your love for your Mac during the Design Your Life class. My teenagers don’t really understand why so many are mourning his death. Of course, they don’t know a world without Apple either. My husband is a product designer, and something he’s said to me many times is “Apple showed the world that useful can be sexy too.” In his field, Apple is the standard that everyone else is still chasing. Apple will always be Steve Jobs, and even my kids are in awe of his genius.
Karen says
Well said Cathy.
Pam says
I have been deeply saddened too and I’ve had a hard time understanding why I’ve been so effected. Yes, I have lots of Apple products but I didn’t KNOW Steve Jobs. I believe the reason is two-fold: 1) I think it’s incredibly sad that we have lost someone who shaped so many aspects of our lives but we have also been robbed of the opportunity to see the other technological advances his creative genius could have provided. 2) I HATE that we’ve lost yet another person to cancer. My mom passed away from lung cancer in August so I know firsthand what a brutal disease it is. It simply doesn’t discriminate. I pray for peace and comfort for his family.
PattiP says
I’ve been a Mac since 1985. I was sure this sad day was looming when Steve stepped down as CEO of Apple, but it was still a shock, and yes, I cried. He was a genius of innovation and design who greatly impacted my life as a musician.
Laura says
Apple iiC for me when I left for college in 1985. As the previous comments said, we knew it was coming but still a huge shock. RIP Steve!
Kary in Colorado says
Exactly, Cathy, exactly. I cried too. The magician is gone. Thanks for putting it into words. You will be sincerely missed, Steve Jobs.
Yolanda says
{sorry if I double post, I had some browser issues}
Oh no. Just when I thought I was better, I’m a big old blubbery mess again. this was my status on Facebook, yesterday:
“Feeling a profound sense of loss and gratitude, today. I met my husband on a Mac. My present for our fifth anniversary was a Powerbook. For our seventh, I received an iPod Mini. I studied web design, because I fell in love with creating on a Mac. When I was promoted at my last job, I was given a iMac as a bonus. We played music from my iPod while I was laboring with Lyra. And every year, just before her birthday, we go to the movies to see the newest Pixar movie. None of it would have been possible, were it not for Steve Jobs.”
I can’t really overstate how intricately what I do and the way I express myself creatively is only possible because someone else dreamt bigger, who gave me things I didn’t know I wanted until I had them. That person is Steve Jobs.
I bought my first Mac at a time when everyone else was jumping ship. A beige Performa that cost me $166 a month and took me two years to pay off. I will never forget unraveling that box the first time, or watching it greet me hello in 100 languages the very first time I powered it on.
A year earlier my book-loving, literature geek core had been completely rocked. I took an Intro to Multimedia class at my junior college where we learned to make simple games and presentations using a cutting edge software at the time called Hypercard (basically the great grand father of Flash). I was shocked when I went from only using a computer to type papers and chat on bbs’s, to being willing to spend 6 to 8 hours straight designing and coding. My world changed.
And on Tuesday night, it changed again. It feels like a cold, hard, painful end of an era. One, I just didn’t see coming. Not yet.
AmyJed says
I’m so glad to read this post today. I too am a Mac, and have been using Apple products since gradeschool in the 80s, when we had computer labs full of Apple IIe machines. I have always been a computer nerd, and Steve Jobs made it cool to be one. I am so thankful for the time he spent making our lives better through the innovative products he brought to market. The world will miss his brilliance and showmanship. iMourn 🙁
cathy says
Indeed. Well said.
Giselle says
I’m a Mac 🙂
Ditto everything that’s already been said in tribute to the amazing visionary that gave us iEverything. Sleep well Steve Jobs, you left too soon.
Becky R says
What a beautiful tribute you have written. I’m a Mac too.
I got my first Mac in 1987–yep, one of those beige boxes–and I still have it. My son, born in 1987 and now a software engineer, has asked for it . We have that written in our will. 😉 Over those 24 years, between me and hubby and our three kids, we have had at least 10 Mac computers (4 desktops and 6 laptops), 8 iPhones, 2 iPads and I can’t even count the number of iPods. My world is a better place because of Steve Jobs’ innovations.
D says
Back in 1987, I worked at a company where the head scientist for my department was a rabid Mac fan. I still remember one day needing to do work at home and him tenderly carrying the beige 512 Mac and strapping it into the passenger seat of my small car. I took it home – carried it up the stairs with one hand – and tenderly put it next to the matching on the outside beige box I had on my desk. I seem to recall that the only difference between the two machines was the label on the outside. Somewhere I have a photo of these two Macs side-by-side. [On another note, my son got his first black eye at the age of 10 months from playing with his Aunt’s clam-shell Mac!] Mac-girl? Oh yeah … for a very long time too. 🙂 Thanks Mr. Jobs for GUI, the mouse, and Pixar movies! 🙂
MarionW says
The world has lost a true visionary with the passing of Steve Jobs. Although the only Apple product I own is an iPod (but my kids are both “Mac people”), I am in awe of his ability to change the world of technology. Who would have imagined that smartphones and tablets would become an integral part of our daily lives, thanks to the iPhone and iPad? He had the uncanny ability to anticipate trends and create needs where none existed before. Even as we smug PC people had declared the Mac dead, Steve Jobs was able to bring Apple back to life and make the company the force that it is today. The world is a lesser place without his genius and foresight. People like him are few and far between. RIP.
Izzy says
I’m not a Mac. I’ve never owned any Apple products, nor been fortunate enough to use one. I just loved Steve. I loved the way he refused to accept the word “no”, made his own way in business & in life and made so many think differently. I started crying the day he announced he would no longer be able to continue at Apple. I knew what that meant. I turned to my husband & said “the only way he would be leaving, is if he’s dying”. It came way too soon. I am heartbroken for things that will never come, for his family and all those that loved him for what he was.
Susan says
Cathy – I thought you would love this old Apple ad. This one was narrated by Steve Jobs and it never aired. They chose to air the one with Richard Dreyfus narrating. Anyway it is very touching and I love hearing his voice. The only thing that would make it better would be if they added his photo to the montage of “Crazy Ones”.
christa says
I have to say I am completely affected the same way you are. He was a genius and a magnificent innovator.
Have you seen this image? Its worth a look….
http://cdryan.com/blog/one-more-for-steve/
DawnT says
Oh Cathy – I love how you so eloquently stated my exact feelings regarding Mr. Jobs and his beloved company. You see, I grew up in Palo Alto, CA – I remember taking my very first computer class in Jr. High, where we did programming in BASIC on an Apple II. My high school had an entire computer lab filled with donations from Apple, and those beautiful little boxes were amazing! I remember heading off to college with my very own mac, even had an experience with the sad mac myself :(. I can’t begin to recount the many Apple products that I have purchased through the years, including all that you mentioned as well! And living in the heart of Silicon Valley, growing up with this technology, I feel as though I lost a loved one. I have been moping around with a little sad icloud over my head ever since I heard the news… and I love that you shared your story here too. I am glad I am not the only one! Thanks for everything Steve, and you too Cathy! 🙂
Del Morgan says
From our Apple II in middle school, the mac plus lab in high school, the classic, LC 475, 630, Blueberry, iMac, Mac book pro, many different versions of the iPod and iPhone, I am a Mac. I have, as I’m sure many of you have, brought many others over to the light side, from their virus filled PCs to the elegance of the Mac.
As a teacher, I was blessed to start teaching in a school in 1991 with 2 mac labs and three fabulous mentors. I have taught many hundreds of kids how to use info tech on the Mac. Today in class, while talking about archaeology, we got into a discussion about the change in technology over my lifetime (I’m 43). The difference from when I was a kid, with my record player then 8-track…all the way to the tunes we listen to in class from my iPhone. We discussed how music for them – was from Steve – iTunes wasn’t around when I was 12. There was no such thing as an app.
Steve was a visionary in ways we only partially understand. This amazing man had over 300 patents himself. He has changed the way I work and live. He changed the way millions of people do things, everyday things, from listening to music, to communicating with each other. He took ideas that were far out and made them everyday things. (Have you face-timed today?)
My heart goes out to his immediate family, his apple family and to all of us who include him in our extended life family. I hope his vision continues and Apple can continue to make such innovative things.
We will miss you Steve.
KathyinMN says
I’m a Mac. I use my iPod and iPad daily, iPhone for Sprint ordered this morning. His inventions have changed my life. Changed a lot of people’s lives, I suspect. Add in Pixar, knowing no Steve, no Toy Story and….iSad. A true genius, made simple the norm. (my 70 year old dad who has never used a computer knew how to work the iPad-its that intuitive). Excellent post.
cathy says
Id never heard that version before.
Thanks for the link.
cathy says
I hadnt seen that.
Thanks for sharing.
Mariah says
It was a pretty sad day. Even my dad texted me (on my iPhone) to let me know. The world lost a great visionary. I’m a Mac too.
JenRay says
I am a Mac too. A little later to the party – it really started with my beloved U2 iPod in what, 2004? When I got my iMac in 2007, it was a clear case of “where have you been all my life?” I’ve since added an iPhone (and ordered my second this morning) and a MacBook to the family. I hope I never go back. It will be interesting to see what happens with Apple over the next couple decades. I hope they can carry on without Mr. Jobs, but I think his genius was a big part of what makes their products so special. I am surprised by how upset his passing has made me – and the infinite loop comment – ack! My husband doesn’t get it. Of course he is a PC. You have written a touching tribute, Cathy. You really get it. I’m sorry for what we all have lost. Even the PCs.
dawn says
I love what you wrote Cathy and that you shared this with us. So many people have been effected by this and are sharing their stories. You have made me tear up and feel the sadness your going thru. So glad he did so much for you and how this layout captures it all. This will be great for your kids/grandkids to see one day.
cathy says
Amen!
beth says
There is something ironic I guess, that I will be buying an iPhone next weekend (now that it’s finally on e network that *works* in Florida). I’ve been waiting patiently. I turned Mac just a few years ago, but I will never, never, never go back.
Kay Gregory-Clark says
I’m a Mac.
iSad.
My history with Apple goes back to the beginning, when I first worked on one my husband brought home from school. The Mac hadn’t been born just yet. Then my small bedroom-office company (graphic design and writing) was selected to beta test a little beige box, outfitted with an integrated system of MacWrite, MacPaint, PageMaker and AppleWorks. Wow! Talk about revolutionary. I was sold—and decided when my trial period was over, I couldn’t continue life without a Mac. So, given the opportunity to purchase it (with an Apple LaserWriter, all to the iTune of about $10,000!), I figured I’d mortgage and sell everything else I owned to get it.
One of my favorite stories is when I went to work for a large corporation that was all IBM/Microsoft. I thought I’d died and gone to hell. Then we had such a big presentation, I took the work home to do it on my 2 Macs. Finally, when my unit boss saw what I was accomplishing—that simply could not be done in the office—he and 2 co-workers came to my apartment. When we’d finished cranking out the project, he told me to get busy on a proposal to make our little unit (5 of us) an island of Macs in that big sea of PCs.
At each stage, especially since retirement, I’ve tried to justify purchasing a new Mac. This last time I nearly went PC, but I absolutely could not bring myself, no matter the cost, to give up all that had become so important to me. It practically made me sick, honestly. So I bit the bullet and financed a new MacBook Pro. I’ve never regretted it for one second, because as others have more eloquently said, it is a way of life for me.
Others in my world have never quite understood my “Mac bigotry,” and frankly, it is difficult to fully communicate the difference between a PC and a Mac. I talk about the intuitiveness vs the clunkiness and others look at me as if I’m nuts. I talk about the simplicity and logic of an app vs the complexity and downright craziness found with a PC. I talk about how PC programmers have eventually come around to mimicking the performance of a Mac. I tell them about how a Mac is virtually free from viruses and doesn’t crash everytime you sneeze.
All I know is that I could not live without one.
I, too, was gripped by an awful sadness when I heard the news about Steve Jobs—just as I was when he left Apple before. Only this time, he won’t be returning. I can only hope he left enough of his legacy with the team that they will carry on. My husband, a PC person who retired from the information management sector, even noted the brilliance that Steve Jobs exhibited and his unique mind. He said he had at one time worked with Apples and recognized their superiority, but their cost could not be justified to the company.
RIP, Steve. And thank you.
Kay Gregory-Clark says
p.s. I just watched the video about “The Crazy Ones” and love it! In fact, I’d about forgotten about my “Think Different” cap. I am going to get it now and wear it.
cathy says
I know, Kay, I love that clip too!
Angela Hancock says
So touching Cathy. His passing is so incredibly sad.
Anna says
My favorite part of Steve Job’s Commencement address, “My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption.” Smart mama:) She chose life!
Yay!
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cathy says
As an adopted person myself, I have to agree!
Angela0716 says
Just when I thought I was over the death of Steve Jobs, I read this and feel sadness all over again. I’m a mac, too.
anna says
i didnt know that about you cathy. how very cool! i’m so very thankful for your smart mama 🙂
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Katie Pegher says
I feel exactly the same way. I’m a Mac.