As most people know, especially those that depend largely on electronic devices, that Steve Jobs died October 5th, 2011. He was the face of Apple and most notable products like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. He's also responsible for creating Pixar, an animation studio company most notably known for films like Toy Story. It's amazing how a product, like the iPhone, that was initially released in 2007 has changed the way people live today. I remember when my family first got a cell phone in early 2000 and remember the amount of time I spent looking at it. It was amazing that we could make phone calls anywhere we wanted. Since then times have changed and the cell phone market changed as well. The first line of smartphones consisted of a stylus that was used as a virtual pen to navigate through the functions of the phone. These phones allowed users to store not only contacts but calendars, memos, and other applications used to organize the activities in a person's life.
Along came Steve Jobs and the introduction of the iPhone. It revolutionized the smartphone market, these devices now navigated with the touch of a finger, displayed vivid color and fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. One of the most attractive features is the App Store, where users can download customized applications to their phone. For example, a student could download a dictionary app and have that services right at his finger tips. A person could download a budget app to track and manage his spending. People who wanted to stay busy while waiting for an oil change could download a number of games from the App Store. This in my opinion is the main reason why smartphones have increased in popularity in recent years.
Apple also innovated the music player market in terms of the introduction of the iPod. The iPod was introduced before the iPhone and can be argued that the iPhone was developed because of the success with the iPod. Prior to its introduction, individuals like myself would burn MP3 files to a CD and would have to carry these CDs with us. It's not uncommon to find bulky binders filled with dozens of CDs in your homes or cars. The iPod changed this process, we now can create custom playlists and have hundreds of songs loaded. The iPod changed how we listened to music and how we view mass media. I remember when I first got an iPod and the excitement I had as I anxiously waited to get home and upload all my music to it. I remember walking to school and thinking this is one of the best inventions ever. The device elevated itself from a music player to a status symbol. You were considered cool for having it. I guess this it evident in all of the Apple devices, you're either an Apple person or not.
The next product that Jobs introduced was the iPad and to be honest I never thought this was going to be as successful as it is. I always thought, “why buy it when you already have a laptop?” but now I realize that the iPad's allure is with its styling and branding. In today's society people are using computers for leisure less and less. If a person wanted to look up information or write an email, they would use their smartphones. It's small, fits in your pocket and easily accessible. Users are now accustomed to have information at their finger tips and don't want to bother getting up. This is why the iPad is so popular, it provides the function of a smartphone, minus phone calls, with the benefits of a larger screen.
Steve Jobs was the CEO of Apple and most notably the face behind these products. Within 5-10 years he revolutionized how society interacts with each other in terms of products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Although I'm sure Apple will come up with more innovative devices, Steve Jobs' place in Apple history will never be forgotten.
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