Steve Jobs, in His Own Words

Steve Jobs wrote his own story.

we hardly knew ye

    from QOTD
Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes ... the ones who see things differently ... they're not fond of rules.... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things ... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.

I'm as proud of what we don't do as I am of what we do.

In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

We don't get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.

The people who built Silicon Valley were engineers. They learned business, they learned a lot of different things, but they had a real belief that humans, if they worked hard with other creative, smart people, could solve most of humankind's problems. I believe that very much.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.
     All from Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Steve Jobs wrote his own story, much to the benefit of many of the rest of us.

Would that, at this very moment when we are in countless ways thanking Jobs for what he did, there is some young person, or a person of any age, in some garage or somesuch place -- and inspired by Jobs -- writing with similar passion his/her story.

A new story that will bless us, take us to places we have not known and cannot imagine, for generations to come.

If I had not studied the machinery,and science that was a part of Apple, my coin-operated mirror would just be a mirror,and never make amends for the reflection so easily obtained by other,inferior,mirrors....you know, the ones that do not accept the currency of the day,and may reveal the unflattering image one may hope to avoid,at least,temporarily (or,temporaly)...

..and in keeping withthis solemn mood, I have made the coin-operated mirror,located in the lounge of theSepia Club car, free,well, at least no coin required, but free to show what it sees? That is usually in the EyE of the beholder,and only for the moment. 

There are many articles on Steve Jobs but this one, from the Esquire, has got to be one of the best I’ve come across.

Some quotes from “Steve Jobs and the portal to the invisible”
It's a Dorian Grayish fable, transposed to the twenty-first century: Steve Jobs has become Steve Jobs by doing what nobody else has done before -- by treating computers not just as tools but as mirrors, by making technology not just the engine but the emblem of transcendence

Gates sold the invisible; Jobs shaped it, sculpted it, then let it shape his beautiful boxes

There are several things that Steve Jobs isn't. He isn't, for one thing, democratic. "He isn't utopian," says Wozniak. He is messianic, and his life stands as an illustration of the difference between the two objectives. He was never driven by a vision of a better world; he was driven by a vision of himself as a person whose decisions guide the world.

http://www.esquire.com/features/75-most-influential/steve-jobs-1008

Sadly, Jobs and I never got to discuss 'coin-operated mirror 2.0', tho I always wanted to....

...and for some reason, he never got back to me on the Karaoke version.....

I like his philosophy.  Building a brand or business takes teamwork.  Always acknowledge that you're not in it alone.

Road Yacht- Thanks for posting that.  In sure we'll hear parts of that quoted on the campaign trail of the upcoming primaries. 
 
I especailly like the last line; "don't settle."    

Spring Fragrance- Thanks for posting the Esqire link.  Its amazing how one person can change the world.

I got nothing on this one, except to muse what strange Messiahs IT has generated.
When Saint Peter logged in Steve Jobs at the Pearly Gates (haha!) he forgot to press the 'refresh' and generate a miraculous resurrection. Sorry, I get so annoyed by adults and children glued to their I-Whatever instead of engaging with the real here and now, is this "progress" or just another opium for the masses?
Anyway ~ Brunch time here. Dismal rainy day. Comfort food needed.

It's  a  lifelong  process,  learning  how  to  live  (priorities),  & some  never  get  it  right.   It's  even  harder  to  progress  to  step  #2,  knowing  how  to  die,  being  confident  that  you  held  your  head  high  while  you  lived,  with  no  regrets,  and  face  death  without  fear.   Family,  friends,  personal  integrity.   Work  takes  care  of  itself,  if  you  are  blessed  with  natural  talent,  ambition,  and  a  little  luck.  The  ice  cream  vendor  in  the  pushcart  is  just  as  successful  as  the  tycoon,  if  that's  what  he  does  best,  and  he  does  it  well  &  treats  others  with  dignity  &  respect.   Seen  on  a  road  near  a  military  base  in  England:    Most  cringe  when  the  grim  reaper,  when  the  chips  are  down  and  you  are  tempted  to  give  up,  appears  &  smiles  at  you.  Royal  Marines  SMILE  BACK. 

Hazel- Do you think Steve Jobs gave St. Petter an i-pod as gift at the pearly gates?  Can't you just see him asking the saints about  problems they had making Heaven wireless?

When I was about 7 I heard someone speak about a man how had died saying "he lived everyday as if it was his last day."  Another man, said no "you should treat everyone you meet as if it is their last day.  You never know when something can happen and you will never see them again."  Putting your best footward,  forgiving minor faults and persistantly working at something you love is the way to life.      

Julia, I'm not sure he understood teamwork the way most of us would. Jobs, like Gates were atrociously dictatorial in their management style. They had huge egos. Jobs was known to praise and berate the same person almost in succession and Gates is no different, well known for putting down his staff with sarcasm and calling them stupid. I think living or working with someone like that can be very draining.

The quips have started to come in...this one from PGA golfer Jason Gore'
"3 Apples that changed the world: the one that Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton's head & the one that Steve built. Godspeed Steve Jobs"

And if you really want to know what happened when Jobs met St Peters at the pearly gates....

http://www.petermanseye.com/photos/556431

RIP Mr. Jobs....................

Interesting more for what it is than what these guys have decided to say about it.

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/27063/steve-jobs-10-favorite-records-and-what-they-say-about-him/

" I'm not sure he understood teamwork the way most of us would."
Maybe that explains why, by about an order of magnitude, he got more done.

When I plugged our new computer in, it asked: "How are you connected to the internet?"
I clicked wireless and that was it. Open a browser, check e-mail, whatever and it is that kind of user friendliness that I appreciate more than gadgets.
All of the ISP data was automatically filled in.
The understanding that you probably would not have connected something to your computer had you not wished to use it… now, so let's make it simple, is Apple.

Some kind of protester said yesterday on the radio that it was a good lesson for the greedy rich to learn that no matter how many necks they had their boots on, they too would die.
That guy needs a boot. Get up off your backside and do something more than whine.

Stoney, all I ever needed to learn about computers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=xAGsESUwW7k

JaxZ  ~
Isn't it nice that somebody was thinking of us?
I imagine we'll be inundated with fifth Beatle stories from the disgruntled for about a decade or two.
So nice to see you on this beautiful Saturday morning.

Spring_ You may be in tune with the true meaning of teamwork, but I realize that Jobs couldn't have done anything without a full compliement of engineers, graphic artisits, scientists, techians and businessman.  Without his team all the ideas may not have come to fruition.

Yes, S. Jobs was a genius, and gave us brilliant technology....However, I agree with Hazel that i hate to see folks so INTO their I-something that they don't talk to each other or notice the scenery. Example, we drove 6 hrs. Friday fromAtlanta to the beach, and the granddaughter did not see the cows, horses, cotton in the field,and all the farms bc she was buried in her lap DVD player or her DS1 playing video games.
 
However, this am she got me up here in our condo at the beach at 7 and we walked the dog out on the beach to watch the crabs run, and see the sun rise! That was worth the trip!
We are at lovely undeveloped St. George Island, like beachused to be in the 50's! Not a fast food or high rise bldg. in sight! Palms, sugar white sand, dolphins arching just off shore, and an oyster festival by the lighthouse if we decide to go there. We are on the east end by the state park, so lovely deserted beach....Snowbirds from Ontario and Michigan have not arrived yet, and summer is over, so not many people here (except 2 mi. west of us by the lighthouse)....Lots of shrimp and fresh fish to enjoy, a wonderful view, and we are beaching it Til Tues......no wifi, but we are piggybacking off the neighbors'!
 
We like the computer, but won't be on here much as the outside is so wonderful!!
You folks have a great weekend.

You folks have said it all...STONEY the links about the favorite records spoke the most to me....R.I.P. Steve Jobs.

Hope everyone has a glorious weekend...hosting a family reunion tomorrow and so far the Weather gods have blessed us. Eat hearty everyone. Try something new. xoxox

I'm grateful the entire world isn't grading my teamwork skills. I've never been in step with everyone else and they weren't there to help me carry any of the burdens of my life, or to assist with my few successes. Frankly, as a private citizen, it's none of their business how I run my life, business (within the law) or money. I certainly wouldn't want them posthumously eviscerating my life for the observation of my grieving spouse and children. I don't care if they don't like me (well, I do, but not enough to change course if I'm on the correct track for me), but I would definitely care if they made life miserable for my family because it's fashionable to shred the successful. Oh, that's right, I'm NOT $ucce$$ful in their eye$ so it won't be open $eason on me.

Stoney, yes, it's been a huge gift. I'd have never become a professional photographer, or many of the other ventures I've occupied myself with sans the friendly boost of easy technology.
It's always good to see you too.

Moose- Hey girl, you are in Paradise and a Foodie's Garden of Eden. Me and Ms Typical heading to Pensacola this fine morn to spend several daze at Margaritaville Hotel and partake in a few of our favorite thangs as this pirate looks at 60. Getting down with some 60's falsettos' music. Love Lou Christie. I've got on a pair of jeans dubbed "Buds" that are so old and comfy soft and holey they are held together by a hope and a prayer. To care about everything you must periodically not give a darn.

A long time ago, I learned to differentiate the respect I have for achievement and genius from the person. My fav Robin Williams role is Dead Poets Society "Teach" John Keating: They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.
¥¥¥¥¥¥¥Using Apple Products with joy and "dinging" the universe in our own way is the greatest tribute to the Ideal of Steve Jobs.

 

Carpe Beachdom Tommy. You da bomb. Wish I could buy the first round at the Margaritaville.

Jax- I shall hoist a big'un in your honor oh kindred spirit with a schoolgirl heart!

I am content, boyhood pal and your beloved sweetheart.

I am not an Apple/I-anything user - I understand that he was the Henry Ford of the Digital world, & I really never heard him say too much about how great HE is & how HE is the best thing since sliced bread.   So I understand how the loss of him to the Company is profound marketing wise. Yet I guess I was stunned at the people in the local Best Buy crying over his death this week.  Maybe it's just because I am more concerned with books than how to download music in my life?...  I also wonder most all those protesters learned of Job Death on the very technology that rose to the top of the digital world, partly BECAUSE fo the Stock Brokers buying & trading the Apple Stocks, doesn't it seem a bit hypocritical... and what EXACTLY are they trying to protest & are they Trust Fund babies? I mean Really who has 3+ weeks to sit in front of a building?  
  

I know this is a bit crazier than usual, even for me.  But my gyroscope, mechnical and emotional,  has always been a bit wobbly and off kilter. Maybe 'cos if i stand in my bare feet and gaze at the horizon, it always appears to be a bit highet on the left side.

I'm justnot what you would call plumb with the universe.

On those days when a source/man of geniuous, great accomplishment, and a pioneer in his own right who has changed the way we live  in so many ways has left us.... I tend to get lost in my thoughts while following the procession of all those who grieve him, and end up wandering down an empty side street where i hear, feel, and almost see the pain and grief of all those many nameless others who on that same day lost a piece of their heart, lost a dear loved one that perhaps made their lives better,...... was a source of joy, pain and sorrow.

Maybe that person didn't change the world, but was there when a finger had to be bandaged, a story needed to be told, a spoonful of medicine delivered, a tear wiped away, a pat on the head when youdid well, that raised eyebrow glance that said you could have done better.....you know, all the those day-to-day things who's tremble only shook your little piece of the world.

May the kings and queens of the universe bless and honor Steve Jobs.  May they comfort all those who knew and loved him, just as i need to believe they do for all those who were lost to the world that day. 

I don't harbor any resentment for the attention that the death of a great person receives, for great people often change the lives of countless millions, and that deserves all the tributes that can be offered.

I just grieve for those many who's grief is overshadowed, and his death will serve as yet another reminder of their loss.  

But that is just the way things are everyday when it comes down to it.

Meanwhile and far awahy.....I think I'll go down inthe basement and fire up my 512Macintosh and see if any of my old term papers are still there.  If not, i know i've got some cool games to play on it.  I think it is from the early 80s.P

Our inimitable PL. ❤

I woke this morning with a dream fresh on my pate.  It was quite vivid and
I don't know if it was inspired by the passing of Mr. Jobs or the passing of
Veronica in the book of the same name.  One of the characters in the book wakes
from a very similar dream so it may have been a merger of the two and who, other
than the dream weaver, knows what else.  The dream began with the Dies
Irae playing at a funeral mass for the young conductor, composer whose
untimely death brought out the terms unfulfilled genius, tragic waste
and others similar to such situations.  Intertwined was a eulogy by a choked up,
tongue tied brother and the sobbing of a young widow and several young
face-polished children, who probably, at the time, had an incomplete
understanding of the situation. The Dies Irae, was symphonic with full
orchestra and chorus.  At the end of the dream the conductor turns to show his
face and although I did not know the man, it was evident he was the same
conductor, brother, husband, father who had passed.  It seems to me that life is
not a test that we are meant to survive, but a test that we are expected to
pass.  In the end, I believe, we all pass.

Stoney, fascinating link on Job’s choice of music.

Jaz!! Hi beautiful! Have missed you here while YOU were out changing the world! Jaz, the way I see it, you do what you do because it is part of you. I have often argued that we mix up who you are with what you do, but with some, it is so integrally linked

Julia, I totally agree – he assembled around him the best talent possible, I bet he didn’t even have to do buy the best talent that money could buy – for some, I would bet it was just the opportunity to work with a genius; what a rush one would have gotten.

Don’t get me wrong – I am fascinated by this man. I love technology and am thrilled to be living in this digital age. I am probably more “with it” than many much younger than myself. Then, being in finance, there is also the awe with which he created this mega empire, especially when he had resuscitated it when it was within weeks of bankruptcy.

But two thoughts have been bugging me.
(1) There are many out there who change the world quietly, without fuss, but will never get that kind of accolade. The work they do, like the rescuing of slaves, changes whole generations :)

(2) Don’t shoot – I’m just being a pot stirrer here and will likely disappear after this. But this is my contribution to widen today’s topic.

Is democracy over-rated? Obviously I am not talking about a fascist regime but a leadership style that is unhampered? As the Esquire article said, “There are several things that Steve Jobs isn't. He isn't, for one thing, democratic” Asians are much more accustomed to little democratic styles in both business management and government, Singapore is a case in point, we haven’t changed leadership since the late 1950s. In getting things done, compare Beijing’s T3 airport, the world’s biggest building, and larger that Heathrow’s (world’s busiest airport) five terminals combined with 17% to spare. The designing firm was given the job just 6 months before construction started and the whole terminal was completed in four years flat. Compare that it took 23 years from planning to completion for Heathrow’s terminal 5. The construction itself took 6 years. Almost all the megastructures that China has brought out recently took 1 -1 ½ years to complete, like the Beijing Railway Station (Asia's largest) and its World Trade Center.

Eeeew~ It's duvet time in Wales, so despite a recent spate of interesting comments, I will keep quiet. Nos da, dear people. x

How about some fruit from the forgotten
apple?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3jrWVp2L7U

Is it easier to look good if looking bad is not an option?

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5086094

MISS SPRING:  There are three things that all people must learn and understand fully, before any reasonable foreward success can ever be achieved .......
 
This is NOT a matter of semantics .......
 
The United States is   NOT   a stinking Democracy ....... It was Design'd and Founded to Forever Be ... a  CONSTITUTIONAL  REPUBLIC ...   "and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands ..."
 
Democracy has long since been proven to be the WORST form of government ever devised by man .......
 
Democracy is born in Bondage, as a way(people believe)out of that bondage ... People then lean toward Faith, which gives them Courage, to long for and work for Liberty, then for a while they have Abundance, then after a while they lapse into Complacency, which becomes Apathy ... which oozes into Dependance(on the government) which inevitable puts the people back into Bondage ...  THAT, is Democracy ...
 
Every great Society, in History, as a last ditch effort to save itself, adopted a Democratic form of government, and it kill'd them all ... Greeks, Romans, Cretes, Epicurians, and all others went to democracy as a panacea ... and they all suffered ruination and death because of it ...
 
... CONSTITUTIONAL   REPUBLIC ... No Interpretive renderings, strict construction, strict understanding, and strict, uniform enforcement of the Law .......  That is where we started ... that is what we need to get back to, very quickly ... Political Correctitude Be Damn'd ...

I don't know, Spring, I have seen concrete poured and finished in China.  Fast Track doesn't always mean on track.  Funny how some things just fall into place.

I think Steven Colbert got it right - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394291,00.asp

That doesn't mean we haven't had any of our own spans hit the deck.  I was
chuckling when I learned that POTUS was giving a speech about job creation from
the deck of the Brent Spence Bridge.  Over the years, that bridge has provided
more construction jobs than the other four spans combined.  Every year, year
after year for the 20 some years I drove over it, there was a project shutting
down one lane or another, a project that always lasted until the cold weather
would set in.  Everyone on the crew was named Steve, just to stay on topic. 

I always thought 'don't shoot the messenger only applied to those bearing someone elses messages. In other words, they mearly pass on what the pot stirrer, stirred up.

The person stirring the pot does so with the intent of stirring things up and should be willing to face whatever comes back.

Otherwise it is like apologizing for what you are about to do, and then doing it regardless of whose toes you may step upon, whose beliefs may be contradicted, or even who may be offended.

I may not agree with where the stirred pot may be heading, but i will respect the difference of opinion more if it is owned by the originator, who does not stand behind some make believe messenger.....

Oh Peter Lake! You are right, I have used the term wrongly. What I was really trying to do was bring a sensitive topic up for discussion. Of course there are things wrong with both styles. Even in Singapore, the citizens are having a more dissentious voice. For 1 1/2 generations the populace have let a single govt run the place by what they perceive is a competent government but today's young did not grow up with the problems of my parents or even grandparents. I am the in-between generation and am watching with admiration the voice of the young today who want more say. Steve Jobs is NOT democratic in his philosophy - heck, he is well known to park in the handicapped lots and you cannot subtract that from his genius - in fact it may be why he is able to achieve so much - he doesn't really care about others.

I gave much thought to Ivan's post; it is very thoughtful. America is NOT a democracy but a constitutional republic, an elected group represents the populace. Yet, to many of us America = Democracy... In truth, in terms of the issue being fought over, I can't really tell what the differences are between the Democrats and the republicans.

We, this generation will pass over one day. I am interested in being able to discuss these issues, being able to provide both the pros and the cons to my children who will inherit after me. I invite the villagers to walk with me

Sping Fragrance, just goes to show that behind every person of great accomplishment and genius, there is a mere mortal human, standing behind 'em and probably scratching themselves.

Be well

It would be a surprise and a shock to learn that, stock options and high salaries notwithstanding, a man who "really didn't care about people," could attract and retain employees at the top of their fields and who could easily find other lucrative jobs.
Nobody promises democracy in business and nobody expects it.
A useful measure of other cultures would be to point out his equal… anywhere, ever.

One can lead, inspire, foster, and reward innovation; but you cannot force it. Steve jobs was a leader.

May he rest in peace, but here's a little of the other side of Steve Jobs.....
 http://gawker.com/5847344

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag, of The United States of America and to the R E P U B L I C for which it stands ,,, One Nation, Under God, Indivisible ... With Liberty and Justice For All "

Amen

I just don't get the need totake pot shots by highlughting all the personal flaws of highly successful people who have never claimed to be perfect angels in the first place.

I think i'll keep my death a secret just to rob those who feel the need to kick the last breath out of a dead horse of the opportunity.

I don't get it. I don't care to try to understand it. Just don't like it.

so the broom pushing maint-nance man couldn't help but overhear the argument between the two doc students in the li-bary....one maintaining that it was electricity,the greatest invention,that ultimately led to our quality of civilization,and he pointed to his i-pad for proof....the other young barely bearded bright-EyE'd youth maintained it was the wheel, for without which, no commerce of our stature could have ever been created, "Why, even the Space Shuttle rolls out to launch"....but the broom pusher was not impressed....he said "In my world, the greatest invention ever is my thermos bottle....in the Summer, it keps my lemonade cold all day, and in the Winter, the same thermos keeps my tea hot all day....HOW DO IT KNOW???"