Before I run to the Rivival to see Jonathan Richman, I thought I’d write down a few thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs.
My parents purchased a Macintosh SE in the late-1980s, and it was our first Macintosh computer. I took to it pretty easily, and I remember my mother teaching me many things on the computer, including basic scripting in HyperCard, and playing in MacPaint, and MacWrite.
In 1994 I purchased MY first Macintosh computer. I had to let the rest of the family use it, though. It was a Macintosh LC 575. I upgraded from 8MHz to a speedy 33.3MHz. That 68040 processor sped through operations in no time. It was the first computer I upgraded the RAM and hard drive of, why my parents let me do that at 14 or 15, I have no idea, but man 2GB of storage in that machine!
In high school I did a co-op, and was positioned at Apple Canada’s head office. I did support for staff, I worked a bit in the tech shop, cleaning out old Macs, I did some work with data entry, but I have two very specific memories of my time at Apple.
1) I got to join when the tech team stripped down Canada’s first All-In-One G3. That machine was UGLY!
2) I got to join the staff of Apple Canada as they watched Steve Jobs redefined the computer industry by introducing the iMac. It’s incredible how that one machine changed the world. It was interesting that no one there knew what was being announced, and all were amazing, and then criticized the lack of floppy.
After my co-op ended I run the computer department at a camp, and when that ended, I later took a job doing sales at a Future Shop-esque store that no longer exists (and was owned by Future Shop). I was the Mac guy. After I got pissed at them, I took a job for a Toronto Apple Reseller. I stayed there for six years floundering, but from there I’ve since been working as the Systems Administrator and IT Manager for a private school. As the sys admin, of a large Mac network, I often get frustrated at Apple, and that extends to Steve Jobs.
Jobs was a brilliant man, and from what I hear, an ass. He revolutionized the computer industry, and by extension the world. When Steve Wozniak created the Apple computer, Jobs and he built a great company. Jobs then went on and gathered an incredible team to make the Macintosh. When he left Apple, the company floundered and struggled to stay alive. Against everyone’s expectations, they managed to stay afloat, and after purchasing NeXT, Jobs returned to the company, and made it into one of the most successful companies… not just technology companies.
That original Mac SE is sitting in my office today.