Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs

SSteve Jobs died last night aged 56. Here, we remember why the death of the legendary founder of Apple marks the end of an era.

He turned Apple from a garage startup to the most valued company in the world, and convinced everyone that technology could be desirable. It changed technology forever.

As well as founding Pixar, Steve provided Apple with the vision behind their game-changing products. The iMac made computers beautiful, the iPhone proved Apple could do anything, and the iPad was the culmination of his genius.

This 1987 concept video shows how long Apple wanted to make a touchscreen device with Facetime and Siri the artificial intelligence behind the iPhone 4S. It was only released to the world one day before his death. He finally saw his greatest dream realised.

Perhaps his greatest magic trick was learning to sell thin air. The iTunes store was the first time digital products became an acceptable thing to buy — mainstream consumers were literally handing Apple money for an invisible product.

Today, the Apple site marks a memorial to their founder: “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being,” it says. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. ”

He left a lesson for all of us during his parting words to Stanford University graduates in a 2005 speech:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

He finished with the immortal words, “Stay foolish.”

The article by Dotted Music contributor Tom Davenport was originally published on Ultimate Guitar.