Many want to change the world- Steve Jobs actually did

Well, I guess that would explain Steve Jobs’ absence at Tuesday’s press conference announcing the iPhone 4S….

Jobs’ death likely came as no real surprise to most observers. His cancer diagnosis was well-known and the prognosis was never good. In 2005, he said that his doctors told him “to get his affairs in order.” He lived another six years, and by all available indications they were very good years. Lord knows the world is a better place for it. We should all hope to be able to have anything close to the impact that Jobs did.

Many people will spend a lot of time, energy, and column inches eulogizing Jobs and discussing what he did that changed the way we look at and process information. I have nothing of any real value to add, other than to say that we all owe a debt of gratitude to a man who literally did change the world. Every once in awhile, a person comes along whose vision, message, and timing are pitch perfect. Jobs introduced the world to a different way of thinking about and processing information. How much of where we are today is due to Jobs’ vision is difficult to say. What isn’t difficult is recognizing Jobs’ genius and passion. Without those things, our world would be a much different place.

I’m not one to wax poetic about corporations, but Apple has become so much more than just your run-of-the-mill Fortune 500 company. It’s now the Holy Grail for so many who dream, and while few will attain or even approach those heights, the fact that Jobs set the bar so high is testament to the legacy he leaves behind. In closing, I’ll leave you with a tribute to Jobs from last night’s Rachel Maddow Show. Maddow did an excellent wrap-up on the life and career of Steve Jobs, and it says more than I ever could.