How Steve Jobs Changed My Life
I am a self-admitted Apple fan and that is why the anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death makes me think about the impact he had and continues to have on my life and the way I enjoy living it.
I fell in love with the Apple brand at first touch and, ever since, it has been a never-ending love affair. My first Apple product was the fourth generation iPod that I bought in 2004. This pocket size jukebox allowed me to leave my CD player at home and hit the road with 30GB of music. I instantly became an avid iPod enthusiast – everything from the packaging to the simplicity of the user experience made me fall in love with the device.
I have owned a lot of Apple products over the years but here are my top-five products that I could not live without and why:
#1 GREATEST OF ALL TIME – iPod
Since 2004, I have been obsessed with my iPod and have consistently bought the latest generations. I continue to convince myself that this version is one that I cannot live without and that mentality has added up to more than 20 iPods in all different shapes, sizes and colors. I currently have five different iPods in rotation; there is one in my office, car, home entertainment system, gym bag and garage. All of which I love to use every day.
#2 – iPad
I was one of those crazy people in line the morning of the iPad’s release. Since that day, it has been a constant companion. The majority of my life is spent on the road and in airports so the iPad is the perfect tool for managing and enjoying life. I use it to pay my bills, write blogs, schedule appointments and follow additional content during my favorite TV show. The iPad has totally changed my life and currently ranks as my favorite Apple device.
#3 – iPhone
Since you know how many iPods I have purchased and how I waited in line for the iPad, it will come as no surprise to you that I have owned almost every generation of the iPhone. I never leave home without this must-have device. The best part of the iPhone is the thousands of apps available in the App Store that satisfy any need or hobby you might have. My investment in these apps and the ease of downloading them, make switching platforms a much more difficult endeavor for me and other Apple users.
#4 – MacBook
Admittedly, at first I only wanted a MacBook because it looked cool and people said they were great. After owning two MacBook Pros and two MacBook Airs, I can tell you that these tools are much more than cool looking paper weights. My current MacBook Air has solid state drive, a 13.3 inch LED screen, close to five hours of battery life and only weighs 2.96 pounds. As a sales guy that uses my computer to deliver presentations on a regular basis I can say that the MacBook platform always works and has never crashed mid-presentation. I can’t say the same about the various PCs I have owned. It’s nice to hook my computer up to a projection screen and know that the embedded videos aren’t going to crash the computer and cost me an important sale.
#5 – iTunes
Before iTunes I was on Napster downloading new songs and trying to decide which 20 tunes were going to make the cut onto my MP3 player. With iTunes I can organize my music into playlists, easily download new music on-the-go and peruse the latest releases. The best part is the fear of downloading music with a side effect of an incurable computer disease is gone. I can’t remember the last time I bought a CD. I can’t wait to one day tell my goddaughter Olivia about the stores that were solely dedicated to the sale of CDs in malls all across America. She will never believe me.
Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
So on the anniversary of his death take a moment to think about the impact Apple products have made in your life. Then challenge yourself to live like Jobs and start to “think different.”
