So long, and thanks for all the magic

Before the ZX-80, before the Commodore PET, before the BBC micro, the first personal computer that I ever laid hands on was the Apple ][ at a Games Day show in London, thirty odd years ago. Even back then I knew there was something different with this machine - a philosophy that encouraged empowerment and experimentation, as opposed to the safe conformity of IBM et al. Apple computers found a comfortable niche in creative fields over the years, but it was only with the advent of the iMac, iPod and iPhone that they reached a critical mass in the public imagination as designers of devices that worked without imposing an arcane user interface in the way.

Would Apple have achieved the same perfectionist ideal if Steve Jobs hadn't been in charge for most of its history? Who can say. However, he clearly did make a difference to the way we view technology and has changed the world in ways that we don't even realise yet.

Thank you Steve.