Steve Jobs

Like Marco Arment I’m not qualified to eulogize Steve Jobs, but I owe a lot to him so I need to say something.

My first computer was an Apple //c. 1985. I spent a lot of time on that computer. A lot. Probably an unhealthy amount.

I was a nerdy kid to begin with, and I instantly fell in love with it. I spent endless hours on that computer. Playing games, writing programs in BASIC, and generally just exploring the new world that it opened up for me. Those hours spent in front of the computer paid off. I went on, years later, to write code professionally. It’s not an exaggeration to say that owning that Apple //c shaped who I became.

I’ve admired Steve Jobs since I was old enough to know who he was. When he founded NEXT, I desperately wanted one of those beautiful (and expensive) systems. I’ve seen every movie Pixar has put out. I’ve been inspired by his business sense, his design savvy, and his drive. He’s accomplished more in his abbreviated lifetime than most people could accomplish in ten. His Stanford commencement speech stands as one of the most inspiring things I’ve heard.

My latest computer is a MacBook Air. I spend a lot of time on that computer. A lot. Probably an unhealthy amount.

Godspeed, Steve Jobs.