RIP Steve Jobs

[gorboth]

Brief testimonial from me ...

I really only personally cared about one of Steve Job's inventions, but it was enough. In 1986, on Christmas morning, my brother, sister, and I walked down stairs into the basement to gaze in awestruck wonder on the brand new Apple IIe computer that Santa had delivered. My brother and sister were pretty young and sort of thought it was cool, but I was beside myself. I was in the 6th grade, and had been wanting so badly to own a personal computer all my life. I'd played on them at school. I'd played on them at friend's homes. But here, now, it was finally a reality.

I spent the next few years of my life enjoying that Apple IIe, generating my all-time fondest memories of computer gaming. They say your first times are always the best, and these really were. Obviously, I was a crazy RPG lover from the start, and spent countless hours on games such as "The Bard's Tale", "Might and Magic", "Zork II", and my all-time favorite, "Ultima IV". On this Apple I also learned enough BASIC to try to program my own first adventure game. It was text-based, and involved really nothing more than figuring out how to walk into a cave and down a few passages. But I slaved over that thing! (it sucked.)

Over the years, my computers changed: Apple IIe -> Apple IIgs -> Amiga -> 386 -> Pentium Gateway 2000 -> EMachine -> Alienware1 -> Alienware2 ... but in the end, my fondest memories go back to that first Apple IIe. I sold the Apple back in the 8th or 9th grade to buy the IIgs. Fortunately, I sold it to the kids I used to babysit, who I became good friends with over the years. After I graduated from college, the boy contacted me and asked me if I wanted my old computer back. It was just sitting in his parents garage gathering dust. Would I?!? So now, stored lovingly under protective dust sheets in a corner of my own home sits my original computer along with all of my original game disks. Some day, when my wife understands that these things are important, it will again be set up in our house, running. (*cough*)

Until then, I will treasure the fact that I again own my first and most beloved computer. And to the memory of Steve Jobs I say, "Well done, Sir! My thanks ..."

G.

[Alorrana]

We are cheering a man who brought us gadgets and games..

Okay fair enough.. rip and all.. but shouldnt one be paying tribute to something more real.. or important. ?

[gorboth]

Speaking only for myself, gadgets and games are some of the things I love most about life.

G.

[Alorrana]

Fair enough

[Gub]

I've never been a huge fan of Apple products, although I can certainly appreciate them. Instead of celebrating the products he created I'd like to take a moment to celebrate how he lived his life, which had a huge impact on me.

In 2005 Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech to Standford graduates. Before I watched Mr. Jobs' speech, I had always believed in living a life without fear and following your passion, but life has a way of beating this out of you. You step out into the "real world" and there is a whole host of people who are ready to tell you what you can't do. They tell you that your ideas are risky, or dumb, they tell you that you can't because they couldn't. Steve didn't tell me I could, and he didn't tell me I couldn't. How could he? He simply reminded me of what I used to believe in.

I'm sure this video is plastered all over the internet at this point, but if you haven't seen it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Thanks Steve