Today, of all days, this seems like an appropriate video to post. Watch as this 1 year old just can’t seem to figure out why a magazine doesn’t work like an iPad.
Steve Jobs Remembered
It’s taken me a bit to collect my thoughts to write this. We all knew the day was coming. Some thought sooner rather than later but the moment he felt the need to step down from running the company he brought back from the brink, we all knew it was coming. But it never meant we would be prepared for it.
Life is full of experiences – moments and situations that we go through from the moment we wake in the morning until the moment we go back to sleep at night. Most of these experiences are fleeting – so insignificant in the overall picture that they’re gone from memory mere seconds, minutes, hours after they’ve happened.
But then there are those that stick in your mind – that stay with you forever and you vividly recall when asked to recollect them.
I can’t tell you about the first time I went to Disneyland – one of my favorite places in the world to be. I can’t tell you about my first trip to Dodger Stadium – one of my other favorite places in the world to be. I can’t tell you about the first time I rode a bike or drove a car.
But I can tell you about the first time I saw an iPod.
My brother-in-law had bought one – being the biggest Apple geek I knew at the time. Somehow, I had been isolated from that world – I didn’t even know what it was when he brought it out to show it off. But instantly, I was hooked. A little box that can carry around all my music in my pocket? In the words of Zack Ryder, “Are you serious, bro?” It seemed too good to be true. It seemed like something out of a sci-fi story that they would use to tell us what the future would look like someday. And for a music fan like myself, it was a godsend.
I bought one not much later. I had to. It was a device that changed the way you lived your life. It sounds silly to say that, I know. But tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that the iPod did not change your life in some fashion even if it’s as seemingly insignificant as not carrying around cases of CDs in your car. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll stop writing right now.
I’m waiting.
I can also tell you about the first time I walked into an Apple Store.
Our PC was dying. But unlike the words I hear on an every day basis now, we didn’t have an issue with that. We weren’t your typical switch story. We didn’t complain about viruses or ease of use or any of those things. We had a PC because… well, everyone else did.
We went to your usual array of electronic stores to try and find our replacement computer.
It was bad. Real bad. Salesmen with dreams of upselling. People speaking down to you because you wanted what was listed in the ad. Bait and switch left and right and just an utter apathy towards anyone who came within their sight. It was very, very bad.
But on a tip from the same relative, we visited an Apple Store – very new to the world at the time. We had no intention of buying one. We really didn’t. Who wanted this overpriced machine that wasn’t going to be compatible with anything?
After five minutes in the Store, we did. We wanted one badly.
The Store was… perfect. It felt welcoming, inviting, yet advanced beyond its years. The employees were knowledgable and helpful. They cared. They asked questions about why we were looking at a Mac and what we hoped to gain from a switch. The product almost felt insignificant (it wasn’t!) but as I would come to understand, it was the service… the support… the desire to help people that made this place unique.
This was a company we wanted to support. This was a company who understood the way the world should work. This was a company that wanted to change our lives… again.
And so it did.
And we’ve been two of the biggest Apple supporters you would ever find from that day forward. As I sit here writing on my MacBook Pro in a home filled with iPads, iPhones, iPods, Apple TVs, and even a lonely iPod sock or two, we have become part of that Cult of Apple you used to hear about so long ago before almost EVERYONE was drinking that same Apple-flavored Kool-Aid.
Steve Jobs was a revolutionary, an inspiration, and a hero to many throughout the world. He took the basic concepts of what people wanted – before they even knew they wanted it – and made them household items that the average person COULD afford with a little hard work and desire.
While driving home after hearing the news last night, I reflected on the amazing life this man had. He was the face of a company that was not supposed to succeed. He was the name that came to mind when you thought of it. But at the end of the day, he was a guy who encouraged the world to Think Different and to reach beyond themselves to achieve their dreams.
Think about this for a moment. Would the death of any other corporate personality have the rippling effect that you’ve seen and heard over the past several hours? Would any of us even notice if the head of Ford or Bank of America or Coca Cola died? Would we even know the names of those people if asked? Steve Jobs was a truly unique individual. The type of man who inspired loyalty – customer loyalty, employee loyalty, brand loyalty. He was the kind of person you could not help but be captivated by.
In President Obams’s statement about the death of Steve last night, he marveled that the biggest statement to Steve’s success and legacy was the sheer fact that many people around the world probably learned about his death from a device he created. I found out from my wife. She got an e-mail alert on her iPhone and told me on mine.
Steve Jobs will never be forgotten. Yes, the general public may move on but for those of us most impacted by his life – his words, his actions – we will not forget. Often times when the corporate and creative atmosphere at the Walt Disney Company is discussed, the phrase used most frequently is – What Would Walt Do?
What Would Steve Do?
A simple question that should be used to guide Apple into the future – at every level. I questioned last night if the company can have the type of creative drive and courage that it took for one man to Think Different and change everything time and time again.
What Would Steve Do?
It’s gotta be the question. It’s gotta be the credo.
At many times in your life, you will be asked what you would want on your tombstone. It’s a question asked to try and focus what’s important to you in your life. Is it a happy wife and family? Is it the leader of the free world? Is it a Hollywood career?
When paying tribute to perhaps the ultimate geek, it seems fitting to quote one piece of geekdom in describing what Steve Jobs would have on his tombstone. When Buffy The Vampire Slayer died (SPOILER ALERT!), her tombstone read – “She Saved The World A Lot.”
Steve’s should read, “He Changed The World A Lot.”
Steve Jobs enriched my life more than words can possibly say.
And in the end, I think that’s the thing he’d be proudest of.
Farewell, Steve. You will be missed.
Blanked By Zombies – Ep. 27 – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
Join Chris & Matt as they discuss the fall of Netflix, the demise of R.E.M., the Star Wars Blu Ray set, the Avatar/Disney connection, and much, much more.
Check Out How The iPad Is Affecting Disney’s Imagineering Team
As a Disney geek and a tech geek, this kind of video is fascinating to me. I love seeing how a fairly new technological advance is being quickly embraced, adapted, and integrated into a real world project like the new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park.
Take a look after the jump.
‘Mad Men’ Streaming To Netflix
In a headline you never would have seen a few years ago, word broke this week that the exclusive streaming rights to AMC’s Mad Men has been purchased by streaming giant Netflix.
According to /film, the deal covers the already-shown first four seasons as well as the remainder of the run through season seven. The first four will go live on July 27th, 2011 with the other seasons being added by the season – for example, when season five wraps up, the whole season will go live on Netflix rather than being added episode by episode.
But here’s the kicker – estimates puts the pricetag on this deal at around $1 million per episode for a grand total in the $75-100 million range.
Holy smokes. That’s a lot of coin for being able to show it online. Netflix must really expect this will boost their numbers and I can’t say they’re wrong with it. I’m already a long-time Netflix subscriber but if I wasn’t, and I had a strong desire to get caught up on Mad Men (which I do), I’d be overjoyed at the idea of seeing the first four seasons at $7 a month as opposed to $20-30 per DVD set.
Big win for Netflix as they continue to make strides to fight off the new kid on the block, Amazon, who I have yet to stream a single thing from despite being given a membership with my Amazon Prime account.
Pennant for iPad
This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest uses of technology I’ve ever seen and is MUST HAVE material for baseball fans as we enter Spring Training.
Go buy it on the App Store… NOW!
Or if you want to read more about it, go here.
NFL May Draft iPads
I suppose I should have some sort of NFL-related story the day before the Super Bowl so here is one I found pretty interesting.
TUAW quotes a CNET report that says the NFL is considering replacing playbooks with iPads in the near future. They specifically mention the Dallas Cowboys and a “couple other teams” looking at making the switch very soon.
Among the reasons for the change:
- Apparently the NFL teams print out approximately 5,000 pages per game! Crazy!
- An iPad would allow their playbook to be animated, possibly featuring photos or videos of the plays in action
- It would also allow for live photos and videos to be pushed to an iPad during the game
- And of course, they could remote wipe a lost playbook – can’t do that with a written one.
Of course, many obstacles remain that prevent this from becoming reality. Something like cost would be the primary problem but they remark that many NFL execs need to be convinced that their data will be secure and free from someone trying to hack into it before full adoption would occur.
Nonetheless, it’s an interesting proposition and I’d love to see it happen.
iPad Music
It must be an amazing time to be a musician of any sorts. With all the technology constantly evolving and presenting new ways to interact in your medium of choice, artists must be blown away constantly by what’s coming next.
I’ve seen a bunch of these lately but these two were in the last couple days. Worth watching.
Netflix To Offer Streaming-Only Option?
For those readers like me who has had Finding Neverland sitting on my shelf for over a year courtesy of Netflix, it is probably great news to hear that Netflix is considering offering a streaming-only option here in the States. They already offer a streaming-only option in Canada for $8 per month.
I’m really not sure why this has been so long in coming. Obviously, the streaming side of Netflix is the future of their business so why not embrace it full force?
