What can we say about Steve Jobs? He’s, undeniably, one of the few people who has truly shaped our world as geeks and the way we live in it. Love him or hate him, there no denying his enduring influence in the way we experience electronics and consume media. He’s one of the few geek icons who went beyond us techies and crossed over to the masses in unthinkable ways.
And there are so many things we geeks have to thank Steve for.
First, he’s one of the few visionaries that strived to make the future today. He helped make Star Trek-like technology available for the masses. His influence and legacy in technology will undoubtedly go on for decades. In many ways, Steve, along with Bill Gates (both highly polarizing figures) made the world we geeks live in today.
Second, thank you Steve for Pixar. Pixar, began as a group within Lucasfilm, until Steve Jobs bought it in 1986 and nurtured into the cinematic powerhouse that it is today. Without his influence, the world wouldn’t have had such fantastic tales as Toy Story and The Incredibles and the landscape of American animation would have been incredibly different.
His passing has had a great impact in all of us geeks. Some of us consider ourselves Apple fans, others despise the company. But, no matter in which side you fall, if you are a geek, you have an opinion about the man and his influence. And we’re pretty sure that, for the rest of your life, you will remember where were you when you first heard Steve Jobs died.
Farewell Steve. And thank you.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. … Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
-Steve Jobs
