Austin tribute thread to Steve Jobs RIP (Round Rock, Howe: to buy, bankrupt)

[atxcio]

Has a lot to do with Austin.

Apple employs almost 3000 people here. The processor that became the A5/A6 which is in iPads and iPhones was designed here. The multi-billion dollar Samsung plant here makes chips for Apple; and that relationship is tenuous, since Samsung is suing Apple and vice versa. That lawsuit isn't affecting their huge supplier agreements yet, but who knows what could happen.

[atxcio]

Here's another little historical Apple-Austin tidbit:

When Apple allowed other companies to clone the Macintosh in the late 90's, the first and most successful Mac clone maker was located in Austin. Round Rock, actually:

Power Computing Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Power Computing was a big deal for a time. At one point they sold very well, perhaps even rivaling Apple's own shipments. That success (and subsequent wane of Apple) might have been one of the major reasons that Jobs killed Apple's clone licensing program when he was re-hired.

[cBach]

I believe Steve Jobs was one of the true visionaries in this world. He had a knack for applying already invented but little known technologies to underserved niches. Think about prior to the iPod coming out, people were still using portable CD players with headsets and then Apple transformed that entire industry and made jogging while listening to music feasible and eliminated the need for large CD disk changers in the trunk (remember those large 20 CD disk changers that we used to have so we'd have a selection of CD's to pick from?) The iPhone was the next transformation, he basically transformed a cell phone, which we had only used to make calls and possibly some email into a portable PC.

I only wish that Apple had not fired Jobs in 1986, we may have gotten some of those innovations years earlier. As it was, Apple would have gone bankrupt had Jobs not stepped in and saved the company on his second and final tenure there.

I do respect what he's doing and plan to buy an iPhone 4S in his memory.

[centralaustinite]

UT has always been an "Apple School" with a Apple retail shop on campus back in the 1990s, you could buy NeXT computers here. When NeXT was focused on the educational market, UT was a key part of that.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

UT has always been an "Apple School" with a Apple retail shop on campus back in the 1990s, you could buy NeXT computers here. When NeXT was focused on the educational market, UT was a key part of that.

Yep, it was an Apple school all the way. When I was in the CS program long ago, we did everything on Macs -- the high-level programming languages, assembly (68000 Motorola series, which were in those Macs), etc. It was basically Macs on the small computer end and on the higher end we had the Sun servers/workstations. No PCs at all. Even my EE classes used circuit design/simulation software that ran on a Mac.

[kbchitown]

Steve Jobs....RIP....*sigh*

From: a devoted Apple user since the Applesoft days.

[austinnerd]

The PowerPC chip that was used in Macs after the Mot 68K and before Intel x86 was originally designed here in Austin at Somerset, which was located by the Arboretum and staffed by Apple, Motorola and IBM engineers.

I believe that at some point UT had the largest number of Macs in use outside of Apple themselves.

As someone mentioned before, PowerComputing, a Mac clone maker was HQ'ed here (Round Rock).

Around town today, it's amazing just how diverse the demographics of folks who at the very least know of Steve. From school age kids at drop off, to folks at Barnes and Noble (young and old), to sports radio shows. It really shows how his influence really cuts across most traditional boundaries.

[ImOnFiya]

Of course, I'm sorry Steve's gone (or anyone who loses their fight with cancer). However, I don't use Apple products.

Yes, he oversaw the design of modern Apple products, but I didn't know the man personally. I never saw Steve Jobs as the man of man who wanted any undue attention. I'm not sure he'd like himself to be revered "hero-worshiped" for what? An iMac, iPad, iPhone? A founder/ leader at Apple Computer? Maybe. However, I'd think Steve would want to be remembered through his wife and four (4) children, his contributions and leadership at Apple, and leave it at that. So, I think I shall.

[mark311]

I'm not a devoted Apple user, but I have great respect for Steve Jobs as a business man. He knew how to make people want something even if it wasn't the best product on the market. The iPhone revolutionized modern cell phones and Apple does make great consumer products. I'm not a fan of Apple products in corporate environments.

[kbchitown]

Originally Posted by kbchitown

Steve Jobs....RIP....*sigh*

From: a devoted Apple user since the Applesoft days.

Yes, still surprised that no one started a tribute thread immediately since Austin is the new (self described) tech center of the universe.