So, Steve Jobs is dead... but what did he really give us?!?!

reply to post by Muckster


The hell is your problem?
I was making a point, trying to show how and what impact Jobs had on technology in our modern lives. It was allegorical, not literal.

I'm not going to flame you or anything, you have the right to your own opinion, But.

Steve Jobs, is not the one responsible for the damage those plants in China and other places in Asia cause, that is a problem for their own governments to solve, Apple only buy's components from them, so do Samsung and HTC. They buy at the same producers (Foxconn etc) cause these are big companies that are running for about a decade or longer, and have been here Before Apple got on the stage. (Microsoft also uses service from Foxconn).

What do you expect? Steve Jobs or now Tim cook to go blackmail those producers to go green and stop polluting?

I've got a bit of a shocker for you then, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. China's gov't is perfectly happy with their export (even if it means ruining their country) their opinion on this matter is. The western world have had a long enough time to # up the world, now it's our turn. (they litteraly gave that statement). So not Apple who is the wrong do'er in here. Its the producing plants themselfes to keep prices low etc etc. Basic economics!

But, i do agree on your whole "i" point, it does make people some what more egotastic, but that's not only because the "i" in a product, i know peoples who are even more arrogant and ego with a Samsung Galaxy or HTC Desire HD2. It has more to do with bs like twitter and facebook, that people all think they are important and everybody wants to know what they do, even if it means posting thinks like wiping my ass or whatever meaningless..

Thats why i stay away from that garbage, but i do have an iPhone (3Gs), and that i bought because in my opinion it really is (read carefully) ONE of the best phones on the market. I'm not saying the best cause i work at Samsung and know a Galaxy 2 is even better on specs then a iPhone 4.

Please note: While i have got an iPhone i'm not an Apple Fanboy. A phone is a phone and not some stupid egotripping status symbol..

Regards,
Bauwser

Originally posted by Muckster
With the announcement of Steve Jobs death and the worldwide outpouring of sympathy I would like to ask... what did Steve Jobs really give the world?

This morning Twitter is full of comments such as "A legend and innovator that pushed us forward in technology"

No offence, but so what?!?!

What did this really achieve... we can add one sentence comments about "just making a cup of tea" onto a website while on the move. We have some fancy gadgets that look cool. The letter "i" has become a title... just stick it in front of anything and it’s become the latest trend.

And the "i" is important... Because for me it's use represents a change in human physiological behaviour... One from that of “community” and “group thinking” to that of the all important “me”.

iWant iNeed iMust iDont Care!! The selfish "i"


While we all bask in this man’s glory and celebrate his achievements everybody conveniently forgets the effects of this, so called, progress and innovation.

Let’s look at the human impact...

Such as the 16 Chinese workers who jumped from the Foxconn building, due to poor working conditions. And the 20 others who were stopped from jumping by the factory security!!!

What about the environmental impact...

While apple paraded its "green" image around, for all to see, it failed to tell us the environmental record of the many companies it used in its supply chain...

news.techworld.com...

In the Chinese city of Kunshan, accessory manufacturer Kaedar Electronics and printed circuit board maker Unimicron have allegedly been discharging waste water and harmful gas from their plants, causing nearby residents to worry about their health, according to the report.

Now, while the bulk of the blame has to be shouldered by the individual companies who directly carry out environmental crimes it cannot be ignored that Apple turned a blind eye. It seems that bringing innovation and maintaining profits is placed above all else.

Steve Jobs for me was a clever man, yes. And it is sad when anyone dies. But this outpouring of sympathy is misplaced in my opinion. This outpouring demonstrates just how blinded by the gifts of the slave masters we really are.

Oh thank you Steve Jobs... Who cares about some suicidal workers and pollution when i can Tweet 24/7 and download apps to my Iphone.

We have been mesmerised with tricks and toys while the thieves pick our pockets.

Flame away you Steve Jobs lovers... I know you will accuse me of being insensitive and exploiting his death for my own message, but I would prefer to remember the 400,000 employees exploited to make apples toys.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

I would like to end by asking this one simple question...

Would the word have been that worse off had Steve Jobs decided to become a gardener?


Peace

edit on 6-10-2011 by Muckster because: spelling

The bloke is dead. Let him be dead and leave him alone.

reply to post by dethduck

The hell is your problem?
I was making a point, trying to show how and what impact Jobs had on technology in our modern lives. It was allegorical, not literal.

No problem, just trying to make a light hearted comment. How am supposed to know you were being allegoric when you end it with...

What he did do was create the platforms and designs that made these things usable and accessible to the masses.
If you can't see what he has contributed to our lives, you never will.

Sorry if i missed your sarcasm... no big deal... apologies for any offence caused.

Peace

reply to post by fatpastyhead


If the *bloke* is dead then why would us discussing his legacy
have any impact or bother him>>??

The question is not WHAT DID HE DO TOO YOU
The question is WHAT DID HE REALLY DO FOR YOU!!
People lived without this s**t for thousands of years whooopeee freakin ding..

reply to post by Bauwser


Thanks for the reply and i get where you are coming from... However, i see it like this...

It’s about individual human decisions...

I own chickens (wait for it this will be relevant i promise) and I would love to earn a living from this hobby. Now I could make loads of money. There are certain breeds of chicken that are worth a fortune. I could buy some hatching eggs for £2 each and once hatched I could potentially sell the cockerels for anything up to £300 each. That’s a massive profit.

I am sure that, if I did this, there would be those who admired my business mind. However, the reason these cockerels go for so much money is because they are used in illegal cock fights... this to me is unethical... so I made a decision, to forgo profit in order to remain ethical. I would rather be pour with a clear conscious then rich with a weight on my back.

It’s about morals, people making the decision to sell out or not. If apple can’t find ethical suppliers then don’t start the business in the first place. It’s about individual decisions and Steve Jobs made his choice... he obviously placed his passion and his profits before more ethical pursuits. If ALL people behaved in a more ethical way the world would be a better place.

Peace

1. He co-created the Apple II, which bought computers into schools, businesses and homes. This started moving computers out of the realm of room-sized, "geek" tools and into the world of office productivity.
   
2. He helped invent the Macintosh, which changed computing forever by introducing the concept of a graphical interface and a mouse. Things that we now take for granted... drag & drop, recycle bin and many other features that today you barely even notice.
   
3. He helped develop the Apple IIc which was one of the worlds first small form factor computers and started the path towards what we now know as "laptops". The smaller, friendlier machine with a nice GUI also started off the concept of "usability" and "user friendliness". Something that even today companies are still fine tuning and trying to perfect.
   
4. Delivered the first printer capable of using Postscript at the same time that Pagemaker was released. Pagemaker was a massive hit with publishers, and Postscript is still used extensively today by graphic designers and publishers (mostly without them even realizing they are using it).
   
5. He bought Pixar when it was just a fledging company, and turned it into the monster animation studio that it is today. Toy Story? Monsters Inc? Finding Nemo? Wall-E? Cars? all those movies your kids love..thank Steve and his desire for Pixar to become a leading graphical rendering company for that.
   
6. When he got kicked out of Apple, he ran off and started "NeXT". It was never massively popular with the popular but gained a big following in academic and programming circles due to the systems speed. The worlds first web server and web browser were written on a NeXT box.
   
7. Although other music players already existed, the iPod forever changed the personal music player landscape and resulted in pretty much all it's competitors copying the design & functionality in one way or another. It was as big a change as moving from "Walkmans" to "Portable CD Players".
   
8. MacOS X further brought user friendliness to the masses, but retained it's BSD roots under the shell to keep power users happy. At the time it was much easier for the computer uneducated to use than a Windows machine.
   
9. He lead the way for the introduction of "Apple stores" at a time where most computer retailers had poorly trained staff that couldn't help with technical issues & confusing prices and specs for odd-matched machines. Personally I hate the Apple stores, but I can't deny that they were a genius move that to this day continues to drive Apple consumerism/culture.
   
10. iTunes to date is the only successful electronic delivery platform for a wide range of music, videos, books and more that hasn't suffered from the wrath of the recording studios. Before iTunes, you had to know how to rip a CD, use a P2P program or know which websites to goto to download media. With iTunes, anyone can simply login, hit purchase and a short time later be enjoying a new album, or a new movie, or reading a new e-book.
    
11. The iPhone completely changed the face of smartphones almost overnight, with it's sleek appearance, touch screen and user friendly interface. Nearly all smart phones being released these days mimick the iPhone in some shape or form.
    
12. MaxBook Air introduced the concept of "Ultrabooks". Ultra-light, small form factor laptops designed for maximum portability.
    
13. Before the iPad the general public had no idea what a "TabletPC" was, or why they were useful. Even today competitors are still racing to try and come up with a strong rival for the iPad.
    
14. The Belinda & Bill gates foundation is one of the largest philanthropic companies in the world. Through the foundation he donated billions of dollars towards HIV research, child vaccinations, to the TB vaccination foundation and many other organisations aimed at improving global health & reducing poverty.
    

I'm not a huge fan of the way Apple does business, but as an inventor and business man, Steve shaped the entire IT Industry and the face of personal computing. He may not have been sole inventor of all the above products, but he was the driving force behind bringing them to the people.

Ehem, welp I don't own anything to do with Apple or an "i" anything for that matter, nor shall I rush too.
So I didn't get nothin'..

Originally posted by Suspiria
Ehem, welp I don't own anything to do with Apple or an "i" anything for that matter, nor shall I rush too.
So I didn't get nothin'..

i got the first ipod, now i regret it..its embarssing to say haha

reply to post by LordGoofus


I think you've missed the point... Providing a long list of corporate achievements does not negate the fact that Apple has used, and continues to use, an exploited workforce. It has used suppliers who deliberately pollute the environment. And it has invented gadgets that, in my humble opinion, make us more narcissistic and inward thinking...

This was summed up best by ooder57 who said...

You will get half way through a conversation with said friend, before they hear a ding in their pocket, pull out their iphone and start tapping away at their screen

These gadgets, which ironically are often claimed to be for social networking, are slowly eroding our social abilities in the "real world"

Unfortunately many people value these trinkets so highly that they can ignore the human and environmental impact.

What have we become?

Peace

reply to post by Muckster


Oh seriously that gets on my nerves. It's not just Iphone users though, it's just all those interwebby phones in general. Just the other night there were a group 5 of guys out at the bar. All sitting together like they should be having fun and a drink, all glued to Faceache on their phones.

The saddest thing? Not one of them was younger than 40.
I had to go over and say something.

Jobs was all about bring the power of the computer into the home for the people.

In previous periods the computer had been almost exclusively a tool for corporations to do business.


Jobs is not the only one responsible, but he certainly deserves your thanks.

What did he leave? A legion of gullible, ignorant, brainwashed fanbois that will buy an iAnything in the mistaken belief that it must be the best.

Originally posted by Muckster
reply to post by LordGoofus

 

I think you've missed the point... Providing a long list of corporate achievements does not negate the fact that Apple has used, and continues to use, an exploited workforce. It has used suppliers who deliberately pollute the environment. And it has invented gadgets that, in my humble opinion, make us more narcissistic and inward thinking...

This was summed up best by ooder57 who said...

You will get half way through a conversation with said friend, before they hear a ding in their pocket, pull out their iphone and start tapping away at their screen

These gadgets, which ironically are often claimed to be for social networking, are slowly eroding our social abilities in the "real world"

Unfortunately many people value these trinkets so highly that they can ignore the human and environmental impact.

What have we become?

Peace

edit on 6-10-2011 by Muckster because: spelling

Your initial question was basically what did he do that was important to us? And in the above post a huge list of outstanding achievements was put to you. It wasnt good enough, so now for you its the exploitation of workers who make apple products and probably the clothes you're wearing which is the problem.

At a guess, i'd say 90% of everything in your house has been made by workers in far off lands in sweatshops for very little money. Your gonna have to make a lot of threads now aren't you?

And as for social networking sites being a downgrade of personal interaction, I'd like to know another way of having a conversation with someone on the other side of the world, instantly, and for free...

Originally posted by Flyer
What did he leave? A legion of gullible, ignorant, brainwashed fanbois that will buy an iAnything in the mistaken belief that it must be the best.

Thats because they probably are? Anyway whats better and easier for playing music on than a ipod?

Iphones and ipods are amazing for their simplicity, people that have them rarely ever change to something else.

No one forces you to buy idevices you know, or to live in a based apple world...but those that do enjoy them.

Is that so wrong?

Originally posted by thesneakiod

Originally posted by Flyer
What did he leave? A legion of gullible, ignorant, brainwashed fanbois that will buy an iAnything in the mistaken belief that it must be the best.

Thats because they probably are? Anyway whats better and easier for playing music on than a ipod?

better than an ipod?
let me tell you the better version was out before the ipod
its an mp3 that connects straight with your harddrive and doesnt require an annoying program like itunes...man i hated itunes so much! wont let you do anything you want and gives the user no control
ipods are the furthest thing from simple when it comes to mp3 players

reply to post by LordGoofus


Gees dude, are like a sales clerk for them????
quote: sleek appearance, touch screen and user friendly interface.
Aww sweet, so much better than real people, they're so klunky you know?

And if you wish to discuss the merits of bill and melinda sending vaccines and SPECIFIC medicines to people who are not allowed to refuse them, well then i'm game.

Get you head out of your iStupid and see what the world really looks like ok?

While we all bask in this man’s glory and celebrate his achievements everybody conveniently forgets the effects of this, so called, progress and innovation.

Let’s look at the human impact...

Such as the 16 Chinese workers who jumped from the Foxconn building, due to poor working conditions. And the 20 others who were stopped from jumping by the factory security!!!

What about the environmental impact...

While apple paraded its "green" image around, for all to see, it failed to tell us the environmental record of the many companies it used in its supply chain...

news.techworld.com...

In the Chinese city of Kunshan, accessory manufacturer Kaedar Electronics and printed circuit board maker Unimicron have allegedly been discharging waste water and harmful gas from their plants, causing nearby residents to worry about their health, according to the report.

Now, while the bulk of the blame has to be shouldered by the individual companies who directly carry out environmental crimes it cannot be ignored that Apple turned a blind eye. It seems that bringing innovation and maintaining profits is placed above all else.

This opening OP is pretty damned arrogant if you ask me.

Crying "injustice" while you sit there, using a device which was created by the very same slave you seem fit to dump on Jobs' shoulders.

He seemed like an ok guy, but he was a businessman. You know that means profit.

He was an innovator for sure.

He gave us people walking around starring at their palms. Sort of a hardware crack for humans.
The "Smart Phone"! Designed for people that think they need it.

He could charge 3x or more than an equivalent pc, for proprietary hardware on a backroom operating system.
Now the mac cost is still way more and is now a pc...huh?

Sweat Shops, Overseas Jobs.

i-tunes....lol

dumbing down?

edit- The i-pod touch/i-phone is pretty amazing technology

reply to post by thesneakiod


Why are those people so happy? In the book Coercion by Douglas Rushkoff their is a small bit about Apple. Steve Jobs actually took some cues from how cults work. That was part of the marketing that pulled people in to Apple. It told them that they were special and understood something the uninitiated couldn't.

That was actually part of the reason for Mac stores. Come here and be with like minded people. You don't have to associate with those unwashed masses. Be with the people that understand you. Be a part of our enlightened culture.

A lot of those people are happy because they bought in to the cult of Apple.

(Interestingly a second reason for the Mac store was that Apple was losig space in most retail electronic shops. Their desk top and lap top computers weren't selling because of their price point. The iPod saved Apple from bankruptcy.)