While I do not currently work on any of the Apple hardware, I'm well aware that this thing we first called 'personal computing' is, in part, the work of Steve Jobs and his crew. Of course, Xerox pretty much let him steal their GUI (graphic user interface) after he toured their facility, oh so long ago.
And Steve asked one Bill Gates & company for help developing their operating system (who in turn stole THAT from Steve & company).
Who knows if Xerox would have EVER seen the vision of what they had and what it could be? It happens a lot. I know of a few stories like it - Superman was created by a couple of fellows in Northern Ohio who sold their ideas for very little to someone who figured out how to make it big.
Last I knew, the "Superman" creators were eking out a living selling comic books from a storefront in Northern Ohio.
So, in a round about way, I am able to do my work because one brave soul saw what could be, and made it happen. In this way, I can relate to Mr. Steve Jobs. Anyone who has a vision, creates the means to make it real and leaves a legacy is worth noting.
So Long Steve Jobs, Thanks For All the Bits!
You might like Creation Myth Xerox PARC, Apple, and the truth about innovation, by Malcolm Gladwell which turned up when I did a little digging into what happened this morning.
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