Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 3rd Oct 2012 22:41 UTC
"Regarding the speech, it is amazing to hear Steve Jobs talk about some things that were not fully realized until only a handful of years ago. This talks shows us just how incredibly ahead of his time he was. I've listened to the entirety of the recording a few times now and have taken extensive notes, of which I will further elaborate on in future blog postings." This 1983 speech by Jobs is not as visionary as it seems. It's virtually identical to Alan Kay's mind-blowing Dynabook vision... From 1968. Kay even describes multitouch (p. 8) and Siri (p. 6). Not entirely coincidentally, Kay joined Apple in 1984. Look people, Steve Jobs was an incredibly talented individual that left a real imprint on the world - you don't need to make him larger than he was.
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RE: Comment by Laurence
by Thom_Holwerda on Wed 3rd Oct 2012 23:02
in reply to "Comment by Laurence"
Member since:2005-06-29
RE[2]: Comment by Laurence
by sicofante on Thu 4th Oct 2012 07:15
in reply to "RE: Comment by Laurence"
Member since:2009-07-08
And so we're back to square one. Everybody is trying to remember Jobs as a "visionary", when he mostly "envisioned" obvious things many others were envisioning at the same time or well before him. Instead, Jobs should be remembered as the guy who made some of those visions come true, by hiring the right people (starting by Woz...), selling the products well and all the other stuff a good CEO is supposed to do.
I "invented" the Google Street Car and View many years before Google even existed, and I shared that "invention" with a number of people that would testify I did. I never took it to the market, because I'm lazy, so it just doesn't count at all. Point being, what's important is actually executing the "inventions" and "visions". All of us have great ideas every now and then. That doesn't make us so special. Jobs wasn't either in that regard.
Remember the guy for what made him different (a great CEO and sales pitch genius), not what make him equal to so many people.
RE[2]: Comment by Laurence
by kovacm on Thu 4th Oct 2012 09:41
in reply to "RE: Comment by Laurence"
Member since:2005-11-13
But who do you credit with being the 1st? The manufactorers or developers? The scientists? or how about sci-fi writers?
If we use a concrete example, the Apple 1, I credit both the man who had the skills to build it, and the man who had the vision to bring it to the masses. Apple being what it is couldn't have been done without both of them.
Features
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
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Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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To be fair, I do think Jobs was a visionary. He just wasn't the only visionary nor was he the 1st to predict many of the technologies he'd later go on to sell.
But who do you credit with being the 1st? The manufactorers or developers? The scientists? or how about sci-fi writers?
Gene Roddenberry had Siri-like interfaces on Star Trek and that was long before desktop computers were even conceived, let alone smart phones. And while we're on the subject of phones, he also invented the flip phone (aka communicator).
However I'm pretty sure vocal communication interfaces were written about even before Star Trek.
So I guess my point is this: Jobs was a visionary, but there's no shortage of them. Getting those visions to market and making people buy them is the hard part, and like or loath the guy, he was a good sales man. Bill Gate is/was too, for that matter.