A possible return......the passing of Steve Jobs

I've not written for a long while on this blog. I have been bored with it to be honest. But I was touched to write about the passing of Steve Jobs. Christ, I bet everyone has haven't they. Anyhow, here is my piece.
It is quite weird when I found out. In the IT world he has (sorry, had) and almost god like following (well, for some). Like any god, they don't die. Steve Jobs did though. I was upset. Why? Well I like Jobs as I've has 3 macs in the last ten year (my first being the Imac G3 in 2000. Not the biggest machine, but for pure pleasure of use and aesthetics it was unbeatable. Also, this Mac had OS 9. Not the easiest OS ever either. It is the only computer I really loved working on. The Imac G3 is seen as the first innovation that Jobs brought about on his return to Apple in 1997.
Not only that I've owned three Ipods (I lost one in a drunken haze). Therefore, I've had pleasure listening to music and using a computer, which on PC never happened.
I have also seen Steve Jobs in person as a mac expo in san francisco in 2002 keynote speech. For those who have never seen this, its quite amazing. People simply stormed for their seats. They hung on every word. He was like a god to them (btw, it was god dam scary to if you got in there way). But he did have an aura when he spoke> Even though I had no idea then what he was talking about (i'm a geek not a programmer). Whilst at the Expo I also went to Cupertino for drinks at Apple HQ. I could understand beer and got drunk their (it was free booze).
I've also read many books about Apple such as Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything, Return to the Little Kingdom: Steve Jobs, the creation of Apple, and how it changed the world, Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition and Still Can't Get a Date and plenty others. All fascinating.
I also got to work on a Film about In Search of the Valley in which I meet Steve Wozniak, co founder of Apple. Daniel Kottke a friend of jobs in the 1970's and employee no.12 at Apple. Captain Crunch we phone phreaker Jobs visited to learn about it. Guy Kawasaki who was chief evangelist for Jobs and Apple in the early 80's. The stories where fascinating. The guy was a great salesman and performer.
Another reason to admire Jobs was he was quite a nasty guy as well. For example, rejecting his first daughter Lisa, even when DNA results showed he was her father. His not paying Woz his share for making break out for Atari. And many other stories to.
I'm not totally a fan boy of Apple. I hate Itunes and the selling of single tunes for $0.99. I think it under sells albums and artist and media companies are losing out at Apple's gain (read Free Ride: How the Internet Is Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back to get a better understanding). I detest the Ipad, and find it too expensive for what it does (there's a suprise. Apple. Too expensive?)
So, why was I upset at Jobs passing? Jobs was a genius. He had 3 successes. Apple. Next. Pixar. For most people, one would be good. But three? Christ, thats insane. Jobs was also a legend. His idea of design was groundbreaking.
Jobs was also a legend (sometimes in his own mind). His work on the popularisation of Tablet computers and Mp3 players and changing the record indusrty, just mind blowing.
But finally, his passing shows that he was admired. RIP Steve Jobs.

Textbooks via iphones

(Found via here). BBC website reports that 500 medical students at the University of Leeds, are obtaining there books via there iphone. Seems a good idea I suppose. If you have an iphone.

Death of the book, birth of the E-reader is upon us.....

The Guardian had a interesting story entitled Are real books nearing the end of their shelf life? Some gave it a good review saying:-

Another executive from Penguin Books, a company that has issued Sony Readers to all its editors, described hers as a godsend. "I now download virtually all my submissions on to my eReader. In some cases, it means the script is never printed out. The agent emails it and I download it."

Whilst one said :-

"I can't say I enjoy it very much. Using it at home feels too much like looking at a computer screen."

With ereaders, iphones and kindles filling this area, its an interesting topic of discussion (1,2,3).

E-books tested as British Library

(Via lisnews). Seems the BBC has been testing out E-books at the British Library. The technology reporter Simon Gompertz was :-

Working lunch's Simon Gompertz has visited the British Library and asked Librarians to give their opinions on electronic readers which have been designed to replace paper books.

Check the video, it has some interesting feedback. With the talk about the kindle, sony e-reader and the itouch/iphone

Story via Panlibus

Panlibus has an interesting article that the itouch and iphone has a new piece of free software to make it into a portable ereader.

It says:-

As reported by Forbes.com, a free to download software add-on for a mobile phone is already outstripping the potential of Amazon’s flagship eBook Reader. Stanza from Lexcycle is freely downloadable from the Apple App Store:

Wow, I can't afford it but i'm so tempted. The article looks at the effect on the Amazon Kindle. Well worth the read. I real want one.