EMU Students Reflect on Steve Jobs’ Legacy
By: Arturo Rodriguez Jr.
The iPhone 4S is the latest product Apple has produced worldwide, but it will be one of the last products to be worked on by the late great innovator, Steve Jobs.
Kathleen Kargula, a student at Eastern Michigan University admits to crying when she first heard of his death.
“I hugged my husband and I cried,” Kargula said. “I knew he was going to die, but still when it happens it’s still a shock.”
Jobs died from pancreatic cancer Oct. 5; he was 56.
David Michaels, a father of an EMU student said, “Probably one of the tope baby boomers of all time.”
Michaels’ son, Lee Michaels said he would like to see Apple turn into a sustainable corporation without his leadership now that he is gone.
“There is not going to be another person like him, and what he brings to his company,” Michaels said.
Kargula says she bought her MacBook because she has stock in Apple. She used to be an art director, and worked on the digital boards found on EMU’s campus displaying information for people to read about upcoming events and EMU life.
“I bought stock with Apple,” Kargula said. “The technology that Apple embraces is geared more towards creative execution. It benefits my life of work in Art direction, advertising, and marketing.”
Steve Jobs has improved the way design is used and displayed for computers and handheld devices. He innovated the way a computer looks in size, quality, speed, efficiency, and how to sell these products to the masses.
Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Inc. in 1976, and Jobs later quit Apple, after the company was slumping in sales, to create another corporation producing NeXT computers in 1985. In 1986, he chose to start his career with Pixar where he later released A Bug’s Life, the Toy Story series, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars, WALL-E, and Up.
Andrea Ingram, a senior communications major at EMU said she enjoyed watching the images come to life in the Toy Story series created by Pixar. She says she has memories of watching Toy Story 3 with her mother and sister; it’s something they still do to this day.
“Images came to life through these movies,” she said.
Kargula said she also has stock in Pixar.
“Toy Story blew me away,” Kargula said. “It wasn’t crude; it showed emotion. It was great story telling with technology we had never seen before.”
Ibrahim Haugabook, a student at EMU said: “It’s no longer cartoons; it’s watching high-quality animation. He basically changed how children will watch movies from now on.”
Kargula said she is not selling her stock.
“I think Steve is a spiritual person,” Kargula said. “He likes to look at the big picture. Apple is his legacy; he wouldn’t sacrifice his legacy by keeping his thoughts to himself. I’m sure he has shared his aspirations with Apple. “
I think there is an understanding of his ambitions of where Apple should be. He set things up so that Apple will contribute to society.”
Bob Stevens, the humanities librarian at Bruce T. Library at EMU, thinks Mac Computers are much better to use than PCs.
“The biggest advantage is security,” Stevens said. “PCs are frustrating. Design-wise Apple has a great look; much more intuitive interfaces.”
Kaleb Gonzales, a student at EMU thinks Jobs was a cool dude, but he sold his products at ridiculous prices. He owns a Dell Espiron 15-inch laptop.
He said, “I feel my PC is very nice, and it was 600 dollars.”
He does admit to owning an iPod Touch stating he loves the touch screen.
“I can hold 28,000 songs in my pocket; I love that.” Gonzales said. “You can touch the screen; it’s real intuitive.”
Haugabook said: “That iPod is beautiful. IPod dominated the market; I was a follower.”
As Jobs’ advancements for computers and mp3 players improved, the prices his innovative products increased. Today, a MacBook Air costs $999; a Dell Espiron Laptop with a 15.6-inch display costs $629.99.
Craig Griffis, a student Information Technology tech guy at the IT Help Desk in Bruce T. Halle Library said the computers the IT Help Desk use in their offices are all Macs.
“Macs are easy to use,” Griffis said. “They don’t get viruses as easily; it’s a better experience than a PC. They’re faster.”
He thinks Apple has enough in the pipeline, as far as ideas and business strategies to sustain their success in the future.
“He left enough of his legacy in his employees,” Griffis said. “Especially, the people at the top of how to run the business, innovate, and have people purchase products.”
Haugabook said, “As far as running a company, I don’t think you can do it any better.”
Jobs had a creative mind that translated to his greatest pieces of work. He brought a passion to his craft that brought beauty in design and beauty in competition.
Jobs’ success, the Apple computer, will always be on their toes as long as companies like Microsoft still exist. PC has been around business for decades, claiming to be the first computer.
However, Jobs brought Apple to a different frontier with Apple’s innovations in the Machintosh, the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and graphic user interface rather than a command-line interface.
PC’s usually started with the command-line interface, which is easier to use for Imani Freeman, an EMU student who has used a PC his entire life.
“PC has more of an old school feel to it,” Freeman said. “Mac is marketed more towards the younger crowd. The Mac is designed more for personal use. Windows is also more business oriented.”
In commercials, Apple targeted their consumers to purchase Macs by having clever screenplay by actor Justin Long. Long plays a cool hip thirty-something year old man portrayed as a Mac alongside another actor plays an uptight thirty-something year old man portrayed as a PC.
One thing Jobs did in the market was create a different way in presenting products and embraced competition.
Here is ABC News coverage of Steve Jobs' death and life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft3oPgsCFbA
Below are video coverage of ABC News and Nightline paying their own personal tribute to Steve Jobs:
Below is Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address:
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