"I just shared an elevator with Steve Jobs!" It was 1994, and I was the editor of a Texas computer magazine, and my friend and publisher Susan was calling me from an industry trade show, her trademark cool completely gone after a chance meeting with one of the most famous men on the planet. "Steve Jobs. Can you believe it? I was right next to him! Me, elevator, Steve Jobs! Eight floors!"
I couldn't blame her -- even at the time, tech visionary Jobs was a rock star in the computer world. It was an insanely exciting time for technology -- the Internet was exploding; suddenly everyone had a gadget, an e-mail address, and a computer. And Jobs was at the forefront. So no wonder Susan had felt like she'd been sharing the elevator with a visitor from Olympus -- Jobs stood on mountaintops and spawned whole industries. I wouldn't have been as cool as Susan, though. I'm sure I would have done some terminally embarrassing thing, like asking him to autograph a floppy disk, or gushing in run-on sentences about his general awesomeness, or (worst of all) hitting all the buttons so he'd have to talk to me longer. (Yeah. It's probably for the best we never met. I'm a disaster around people I admire.)
But that memory is just a small part of why I was so saddened by the news today that Jobs had passed away at only 56, finally succumbing to his long battle with pancreatic cancer.
While his accomplishments in technology were almost too numerous to count, he also had a profound effect on the arts. From the start, Apple computers were created with an intuitive, organic feel that continues to make them favorites with artists and designers. He made his mark on the film industry when he founded a little computer animation company you may have heard of called Pixar, and he also directly contributed to the tech revolution that now enables millions to create and share their own music, films, performances, and more. Before Steve's era, if you wanted to make movies, you had to have luck, money, contacts, or access to expensive equipment on your side. Now anyone is a potential Spielberg, and in many many ways, we have Jobs to thank.
The best technology is the kind that frees imagination and opens up a world of possibilities. Jobs and his creations, inventions and innovations accomplished those things in so many ways. He will be missed. But his imagination and work will remain, and will continue to inspire us.
I just wish I'd gotten a chance to share an elevator with him, like my friend Susan had once upon a time -- so that I could have told him
that.
source: about.com