While the death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 56, may have little direct impact upon the lives of students at CSU East Bay, his life and legacy certainly have changed the way we use technology.
The sudden death of Steve Jobs from pancreatic cancer comes as a shock for many but at the same time was all too expected after his numerous leaves of absence due to health concerns. His resignation as CEO of Apple in August now bears much more significance, and one can only wonder at the suspected imminence of his death those at the company must have felt.
Jobs has left behind a veritable treasure trove of technological achievements through his work that changed the way we function. From the MacBook I’m using to write this article to the iPhone sitting in many of your pockets, our lives have been directly impacted by many of his company’s innovations.
For many CSUEB students, Apple products are the best way to get things done.
“I do have an iPhone, an iPod, and my iPad. Right now I use my iPad more than I use my PC laptop because it’s just quicker. It is user-friendly,” said Melanie Tolentino at the CSUEB campus.
Apple Inc. is currently the most valuable technology company in the United States by far, and its rise has not gone unnoticed. Macintosh operating system computers now have their place all around campus, in our backpacks and in our computer labs (albeit in smaller numbers than Windows operating systems in the University Library).
Still, not everyone is as sold on Apple products as our computer labs might suggest.
“I never liked the products of Apple,” commented Nina Sawyer, a CSUEB student. “I never was interested in it. I don’t like their laptops or their iPhones or their iTouch,” she continued.
Sawyer uses a Creative Zen MP3 player instead of an Apple iPod to carry her music around with her. “I’ve had it for four years and it still is brand new, and it can fit like 150,000 songs,” she said.
Interestingly enough, Creative Technology, the makers of the Zen MP3 player, are part of the “official iPod ecosystem,” according to an article in The New York Times by Laurie Flynn.
Being part of the iPod ecosystem means Creative can attach the iPod brand to its accessory products, intricately linking the two companies. This came about as part of a settlement in 2006 between Apple and Creative after a dispute over a patent used in the MP3 player’s user interface.
Apple has been able to jump ahead of its competitors largely because of the patent battles it has been able to win in the past. The dispute with Creative is just a microcosm of the bigger picture that underlies the company’s success in providing sleek and innovative technological products that are most often associated with Steve Jobs.
Still, for many students at CSUEB that association is negligible.
“There’s definitely your Mac fans and they know who Steve Jobs is, but your average person who just wants an Apple computer may not,” commented Tolentino, who works at the Pioneer Bookstore.
For students who can afford the high price, the bookstore sells Apple products at the relatively lower academic pricing, which upon sale do generate some revenue for the university.
While, according to Tolentino, there were no impromptu memorials for Steve Jobs at the Pioneer Bookstore as there were at Apple Stores around the world; his death has caught many people’s attention.
President Barack Obama was one of the most notable commentators on Jobs’ death.
“Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs,” said a statement released by the White House on behalf of the President. “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators—brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it.”
On the Apple website, visitors are greeted with Jobs’ image and, after clicking it, the following message from Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO, with an invitation to provide your own thoughts, “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
Since Jobs’ death, Apple stock has fallen slightly by approximately two percent to a closing price of $369.80 over the weekend on the NYSE, but it still stands much higher than its value of $289.22 at the beginning of October last year on the NASDAQ.
Even though for many students Jobs’ death will go unnoticed, he has still changed much of the technology we use today. The mysteriousness surrounding the iconic figure of Steve Jobs and the almost magical capabilities of his products has given Apple a Willy Wonka-like aura at its headquarters in Cupertino.
Cook and Apple have big shoes to fill.
