RIP Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, died yesterday at age 56.

I was very late to the Apple party. Until recently, I wanted nothing to do with Macs or iPods or even iPhones. I didn’t understand why people would stand in line for hours just to have the first iPhone (I still don’t actually). I’d used an iPod a couple of times over the years and wasn’t impressed. I couldn’t stand Macs.

Not long ago, my media player broke and, for some reason, I got it in my head to replace it with an iPod Touch. I still have no idea where that thought came from. I’d used an iPod Touch before but wasn’t impressed. I always figured people bought Apple products simply to be cool.

But, the day my media player broke I went to Best Buy and made a beeline for the iPods. I played around with one and started geekin’ out. It was like those times when I’d pick up a book or a journal in a bookstore and couldn’t put them down. No matter how many times I rationalized or walked around the store- book in hand, I just couldn’t see myself walking out without it. Those moments don’t happen often (or I’d go broke) but when they do, I listen to my instincts.

Now, I carry my iPod everywhere. When my iPod did a face plant onto the street I thought the world had ended. I stood there for awhile looking at it like I cannot believe that just happened.

Having it helps me a lot. I use it to manage my social networking. If I’m walking around and a brilliant story idea hits me or I come across a great name for a character or place, I no longer have to fish for pen and paper. I just pull out my iPod and open NoteMaster. I don’t even go to the movies to buy tickets anymore. I buy them through the Fandango app. I use the calendar far more than my paper one or even my dry erase board. I no longer use a print bible- there’s an app for that. I even use the thing as my morning alarm clock! I get my news from Twitter and the Breaking News app.

The iPod has made managing my life a lot simpler. Thanks for that Steve Jobs.

Here are some great articles about him on Wired and CNN World.