Steve Jobs, Thank You

The first computer I ever came in touch with was an Apple computer. (Aside from dedicated type setting computers.)

 I was working as an art director at HLR/BBDO in Stockholm. Assigned to do campaigns for Apple. I loved the Macintosh from the first second. Although I didn't know exactly how to use it. It took a while quite honestly. I couldn't believe anybody would ever want to use any other computer.

Compared to today it was of course rather primitive, but it was still so different from what else there was.  So superior.  Even so, there was a sort of snobbery among many so called PC users. Against Apple.  Calling the Macintosh a toy.  Not a real computer.

Just because it had an intelligent and intuitive interface.

 People felt superior because they could remember a few commands.

How stupid, I thought. Wait until you have to remember thousands of them.

Well, soon all others followed. Trying to catch up. With user friendly interfaces.

They are still behind.

And eventually Apple leapfrogged just about everybody else as well with products like the iPod, the iTouch, the iPhone, the iPad...
And I hope, more to come, still waiting in the pipeline.

 Sorry, no photo today. I just can't seem to find anything by my hand that will be good enough to celebrate the life of Steve Jobs. Steve, you changed our lives. Made things we couldn't even imagine become real. Rest in peace. You're missed, and always will be.

 Tore

 P.S. I was early on predicting that the Mac would soon replace the typehouses. That we all would do it inhouse. When at Hall & Cederquist in Stockholm I was lobbying for for us to learn how. At Ogilvy in Singapore later, I was a pioneer when it came to accepting the type house we ordered from to use Macs when setting our type. Gordon Tan with his type studio was the frist to use Macs in earnest. Basically putting himself out of business. Soon our studio handled it themselves inhouse. Two very talented Indian Singaporean women did some wonderful work on Macs. In PageMaker, although I tried at the time to introduce Quark instead, which I preferred.

Comments

Lally said…
Great tribute Tore. Your personal history with Jobs' products makes it more evident why so many are mourning the loss.