http://news.yahoo.com/steve-jobs-die...d--iphone.html

Time to set aside reservations about Apple's philosophy, this is terrible news. RIP Steve Jobs, my thoughts and prayers go out to your loved ones.

RIP....

He was a marketing genius.

....

Although I am not any kind of Apple fan, this is truly sad. Like it or not Steve Jobs did have an impact in the computing world.

No word yet(?) from Steve Wozniak...

Sad news to hear. I bought my first Apple product, a Mini Mac, in 2005 and haven't had any problems out of it since.

RIP Mr. Jobs.

If you know me I'm not a iphone or mac fan. I'm not a apple fan either but I admire people like Steve Jobs who has changed the world of technology. Hats off to Steve! We really miss you.

Even with a sepulchral silence and secrecy preceding all his product releases, he first achieved full satisfaction among apple fan boys and his recent products like iPad changed the way people looked at display and communication devices.

Apple had many patents but I believe lost out in the bid to patent two-touch screen access.

Well, that surprised me.

Here's something:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...vPL_video.html

The earth isn't...

Thanks Steve.

Well hang on, I dont know much about the history of computers, so what did steve jobs actually innovate?

Computer hardware and OS were already around wernt they?

I've never used a Mac, but was it that much better than was already available at the time?

The Ipod is just an updated portable cassette player with modern clean design. Its not an original idea, it was just an update of an older idea.

Can someone explain what firsts Jobs gave to the world of computing?

I dont get it this cult of Steve Jobs and Apple.

Yes computers and OSs were around before, but the Mac was aimed at consumers (not like there weren't other home computers), but Steve focused more on a machine that was more simple to use. He didn't even create a GUI, but built on the GUI idea that he did see when he first had a meeting with developers from PARC (Palo Alto Research Center).

The computer is just a glorified calculator, not an original idea either.

At the risk of sounding like an Apple fan which I am not, his aim was mostly a user friendly device and judging by many other Apple users he succeeded. I myself again am not an Apple fan because of hardware lock-ins and software lock-ins, but those that just want something that works and don't know or care about such things usually are Apple users.

Steve Jobs went through various phases: first the Apple II which was the first more or less usable home computer which could be cloned as well. Second the Apple Classic which was 5 years ahead of DOS, but unfortunately people would not recognize it (inluding myself). Then when Steve came back to Apple he designed really outstanding and stylish hardware, remember the transparent iMac when PC's were gray, gray and dark grey. In the last phase of his life he designed the iPod, iPhone and iPad. The geniality in these products is not in what he added in these products, it is how much he left out. And got away with it.

No, I am not an Apple fan, I don't like Apple computers at all. But I recognize Steve Jobs' great mind.

jlinkels

I have no opinion on and little interest in what Steve Jobs did, and will not be swayed by friendly persuasion or verbal abuse into caring. That said, RIP, Mr. Jobs. Sorry a human being has died. I also apologize for childishly making fun of Macintoshes ad nauseum during my early adolescence, even if some of my jokes and my friends' anti-Macintosh jokes were funny.

I'm impressed by the fact that as far as I can find, there has been neither excessive attention nor excessive hero worship of Jobs on LQ today.

I admit that I got a C in Introduction to Logic, but I'm pretty sure I can still poke holes in that argument. To claim a computer is a glorified calculator, you must assume the vast increase in complexity means nothing, that you don't need to draw a line at any point. Which means you can also call an earth mover (or other similar piece of heavy equipment that picks up earth and moves it) a glorified shovel, or a motorcycle a glorified bicycle. Or, if you believe in macroevolution, you can probably also call a human being a glorified bacterium. I'll pass.

I believe it was Albert Einstein(?) who once said something like, "the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources". In other words, depending on how you define "originality", there's either nothing "new" under the sun (since ultimately everything is a result of some kind of external influence in some way or another), or anything that's different in any way from an arbitrary point in the evolution of a creative work/invention is "new and original".

…but I'm neither a lawyer nor a philosopher, so don't hold me to that.

As for Jobs' death, it's sad to hear. I've been kinda indifferent towards Apple, but it's sad to hear that the man who started it all (along with Wozniak) has passed. RIP.