The man behind the MacBook, iPod, iPhone and iPad passed away this week at the age 56, losing his battle against cancer. Steve Jobs left his mark not only on the computer, music and cell phone industries, but on the auto world as well.
Launched in 2001, the iPod was such a success that today nearly all manufacturers include a USB port in their automobiles so we can hook up our favourite device while we're on the road.
As for the iPhone, it forced several automakers to create the next-generation infotainment systems we now find in our vehicles often as part of base packages. iPhones went from just another gizmo for hardcore geeks to an essential accessory for the Average Joe, and something we have to have connected and with us at all times.
And the iPad? It can now be integrated into our cars, trucks and SUVs as a DVD screen; it’s part of the standard equipment on the Range Rover Limited Edition and, until recently, it was offered with the purchase of any new Hyundai Equus as the owner's manual.
But the best part is, Steve Jobs did more than forcibly catapult automotive technology into the stratosphere; he also changed the way vehicles are created and sold.
Jobs’ formula was simple: Offer products that are innovative, attractive and high-performing, yet simple and user-friendly. Unfortunately, very few were ever able to duplicate this formula with as much success.
In August, GM’s Global Marketing Director, Joel Ewanick, said he wanted to do exactly that in order to get back into the good graces of consumers. He’s not the first to want to emulate Jobs, and he won’t be the last.
Jobs' work ethic, his concern about other people (his subordinates as much as his clients) and his constant desire to push the envelope ensured a professional legacy that has become a model for all of us to follow.
We’ll miss you, Steve. You may be gone, but you’ll certainly never be forgotten.
Thanks for it all!
Launched in 2001, the iPod was such a success that today nearly all manufacturers include a USB port in their automobiles so we can hook up our favourite device while we're on the road.
As for the iPhone, it forced several automakers to create the next-generation infotainment systems we now find in our vehicles often as part of base packages. iPhones went from just another gizmo for hardcore geeks to an essential accessory for the Average Joe, and something we have to have connected and with us at all times.
And the iPad? It can now be integrated into our cars, trucks and SUVs as a DVD screen; it’s part of the standard equipment on the Range Rover Limited Edition and, until recently, it was offered with the purchase of any new Hyundai Equus as the owner's manual.
But the best part is, Steve Jobs did more than forcibly catapult automotive technology into the stratosphere; he also changed the way vehicles are created and sold.
Jobs’ formula was simple: Offer products that are innovative, attractive and high-performing, yet simple and user-friendly. Unfortunately, very few were ever able to duplicate this formula with as much success.
In August, GM’s Global Marketing Director, Joel Ewanick, said he wanted to do exactly that in order to get back into the good graces of consumers. He’s not the first to want to emulate Jobs, and he won’t be the last.
Jobs' work ethic, his concern about other people (his subordinates as much as his clients) and his constant desire to push the envelope ensured a professional legacy that has become a model for all of us to follow.
We’ll miss you, Steve. You may be gone, but you’ll certainly never be forgotten.
Thanks for it all!