Throughout history, it can be asserted that technology is a vehicle of constant change. From the acquisition of tools to the steam engine to the model T car, it has been technology that has spearheaded the many inventions that have been used to spur even more inventions. While recognition has to be given to the products themselves, it is necessary to tip out hats to the visionaries that saw potential in their own creations and pushed them to the spotlight.
One of these gurus of the technological world, sitting in thrones of America’s richest beside Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, is the late Steve Jobs. Everyone knows the magnitude of force and relevancy of Jobs’ company Apple (AAPL), but not much glow is sent to Jobs’ other endeavors. There are many ideas about how Steve Jobs changed the world, but his work has to be evaluated as a whole in order to really access the impact.
Change through NeXT
Here how Steve Jobs changed the world through NeXT:
- Computers for businesses and schools
- The NeXTSTEP operating system
- Computer games
- NeXTcubes
NeXT was a computer firm that Jobs established when he was on hiatus from Apple in the ‘80s.NeXT is essential when considering how Steve Jobs changed the world. NeXT functioned mainly to furnish computers specified for educational facilities and companies. The income from these sells would never reach the status of Jobs’ forefront, Apple, but NeXT should still be given acknowledgment. Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X, still holds traces of NeXTSTEP, the programming Jobs developed for NeXT computers. While working under the guise of NeXT, Jobs created a gaming system, as well, called the NeXT cube, similar to Nintendo’s GameCube, but functioned for computers. On the NeXTcube, Jobs created and sold popular games, such as the notorious “Wolfenstein” and did well.
The NeXTSTEP operational system paved the way for Mac. It was the basis for a new generation and planted the seeds that would later inspire Jobs for the technological advancement of the Apple brand.
Jobs Gets Pixar
In the mid to late 1980s and ‘90s, Steve Jobs bought the graphic department of LucasFilms and sold it to Disney in time. This department would later become the well-known Pixar. Making smart business decisions if fundamental when assessing how Steve Jobs changed the world. It wasn’t all computer smarts. A lot of it was putting his money in the right places and making choices that would reap prosperous awards. Under Disney, Pixar went on to create many full-length animated movies and establish animation in the film industry worldwide. With blockbusters such as “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc” to name a few.
It was Jobs’ belief in Pixar’s graphic designing capabilities that inspired him to back the tiny company and bait a major player, like Disney. What he couldn’t do in terms of animated video production, he did on the business forefront, and that’s how Steve Jobs changed the world. He was able to expand the company with the capital gained from his initial investment because of Jobs’ leadership and ability to envision Pixar’s success in the film industry.
Jobs’ Other Endeavors
The Apple products are probably the biggest endeavor that Jobs ventured out on. The iPod and iPhone were inventions that eased used access and changed music streaming forever. It’s impossible to chat about how Steve Jobs changed the world without mentioning extensively his work with Apple and the subsequent products that followed that partnership. With the creation of iTunes, Apple allowed their users to be able to purchase, download, and take with them anywhere music on the iPod device. This innovative creation revolutionized music on the go, making it more accessible to people. It also changed the way data is carried, and made it more available for transfer through syncing and tailored to the individual’s needs.
The iPhone blended the capabilities of a phone and a computer. Apple users were able to use the iPhone like the iPod, downloading and listening to music, while still being able to make phone calls and text. There’s also internet features that allow browsing online and different forms of communication. The next innovation was the iPad, combining both devices and developing a tablet that didn’t require a keypad. This revolutionizing of technology is how Steve Jobs changed the world.
Steve Jobs also contributed a large portion of his proceeds to charities and environmental work. In an effort to join exploration in the medical field, Jobs donated over $40 million dollars to hospitals and AIDS research programs. He made it his mission to use his wealth to help others. As the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs used environmentally efficient materials to conduct business. He endorsed the use of recycled materials in an effort to make the environment a better place by creating products that conserve energy, and ultimately how Steve Jobs changed the world.
Steve Jobs spearheaded a complex system of technological change and progress. His creations were innovative and vital to the success of programs outside of the Apple Empire through other companies’ needs to better their own products to stay in the league. His charitable endeavors and drive to push conservationism through technology was truly amazing.