I have been listening to "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson for more than 2 months. I often get only 10 minutes played on a short drive so it can take many weeks to get through an audiobook. When I read a book, I often stop to look up references or make notes about ideas just inspired by the words. Even when driving, I often switch off the playing because I want to take a moment to absorb the great achievement or the insanely stupid move or comment. This sort of appreciation and mental digestion extends the total listening time. I often buy the book in print so if I want, I can read instead of listening. But I may forego greater speed for deeper appreciation and digestion.
I went to college to become a teacher and I did that. During those early years, I had not heard the word "computer" so now, as I listen to the story of Jobs' life, I am impressed by how much his biography marks out my life. I had been a campus director of academic computing for a year and I had plenty of experience working with numerical data before the struggle the Apple II computer initiated. The large computers built by IBM gave way to smaller computers. IBM had built the giant computer I used for academic research so I was interested in their PC ("personal computer") when it came out. After fidgeting and fretting between buying an Apple and a PC, a particular ad convinced me to try the Apple II.
We wound up buying several Apple II's and Macintosh computers and they had a big effect on my ability to write and our ability to keep track of our money. I taught statistics and the work of statistical calculation really needs a computer. It can be done by pencil and paper but it is faster, more accurate and easier with a computer. The work of teaching, with rolls, rosters, and grades is easier to perform, track and modify with computers. I taught testing and grading which also used computers.
I wasn't much affected by the launch of the iPod but I did follow the music recording industry's struggle with album unbundling and person to person exchange of song tracks over the internet. My family likes games, both individual like "Angry Birds" and multiplayer like "Words with Friends" and their enjoyment was the force behind our venture into the world of iPads. It was the app store that really launched a new set of industries all over the world. The iPhone and its commercial rivals has indeed changed the world and launched Facebook, Twitter and all the other social media. Google Thought Starter has made clear the growth of the smartphone and the extent to which it is replacing individual computer use.
Many people at Apple, Inc. and other businesses and organizations, large and small, famous and unknown, contributed to our current information and communication riches but Steve Jobs is one of the important makers and markers of our time.
