Apple – End of an era…

Hearing the sad news of Steve Job’s passing yesterday, for me, falls into being one of those handful of events where I’ll always remember where I was when I heard the news.  Being half a block from the San Francisco Apple Store at the time seemed to amplify the impact of the news, where many had started to gather outside at hearing the news.  It was obvious that word was spreading quickly, no doubt via Twitter, Facebook and the like.

Fifteen minutes later when driving past the San Francisco Apple Store on my way to the airport the numbers were continuing to grow.   It was interesting to note the diverse range of people gathered talking, texting/tweeting and taking photos on their smart phones (pretty much all had iPhones) out the front of the store. There were student and ‘creative’ looking types through to business men and women in suits. The first of television channels had arrived with their live broadcasting unit, no doubt the rest of the media circus wasn’t far behind.

In the sixty seconds I was stopped at the red light in the car it was incredible to see the number of people outside the Apple store increasing at a rapid rate.  There aren’t too many individuals out there that could command this kind of response, though it was obvious that Steve Jobs is one such person.  This being a clear indication on the impact that his innovation and vision to produce such ‘must have’ technology devices for the masses has had.

On a slightly different note, you have probably by now seen Steve Job’s 2005 Stamford Commencement address video, which is in my opinion one of the most powerful and touching things I have heard in recent years.  If you haven’t seen/listened to it I recommend you do – the video is below. Stirring stuff indeed !

Interesting Links:

In a Private Light: Diana Walker’s Photos of Steve Jobs