Here in the Bay Area, any technology/Silicon Valley-related news is always big news to us locals here; it was big news when we learned that Mr. Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (ironically, same cancer that killed my cousin 4 yrs ago). When that news came out, my parents knew that Mr. Jobs’ time will come faster than a speeding bullet. His resignation from Apple altogether back in August was a huge sign for us that he was already dying. It was the only credible reason that we could think of as his reason for resigning in the first place, it just made no sense to us for him to resign when Apple is currently in one of their highest profitability periods with the launching of the apps for the iPad and eventually the iPhone 4S the day before. And then yesterday afternoon came.

A friend of mine blogged about the iPhone 4S and somehow she figured out (or rather she just defined it) what the “4S” in the iPhone 4S stood for. Originally it was supposed to be named the iPhone 5, but rather they changed it to 4S. To her, 4S was read “for Steve”; Apple must have already known the signs that Mr. Jobs would be leaving us permanently.

Apple went through a lot as a company. When my school started using Apple IIGS computers back in the late 80s, it was also during the time that the company was on its worst years of its profitability, plus Mr. Jobs also resigned at that time due to power struggles. It wasn’t until the late 90s when Mr. Jobs returned to Apple and redesigned the company’s business model, focus and of course, their current products and reinventions (the iPod was the company’s savior) that got the company back to its feet again.

In terms of the products themselves, I’ve always had this mindset since I was a kid that the Apple systems were meant for education and in some businesses, but primarily for education, which is why I wasn’t too fond of their newer products such as the iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc. I was one of those “snooty kids” who didn’t want anything become just a fad/trend among people around the world and not realize its advantages and potentials, just like how the IIGS and the Power PC and the Macs were for students and teachers then. It’s like it kinda disgusts me for people to own an iPod/iPhone/iPad, etc. for the sake of just having one, you know?

We’ve lost one of our own “home boys”, but the entire world lost a legend.

I remember in elementary school we had all MAC computers, and somehow the Franklin County School system was able to get ahold of a MAC contract, but I was able to use them throughout my middle-high school career.

Truthfully I have always been more of a PC person (and I generally don’t offer much positive press for the MAC industry) but I was sorry to hear about the loss. If anything Mr. Jobs was a visionary for the industry, and he will be sorely missed.