Apple Products - Love Or Loathe Them

[avole]

You don't know your computer history very well, do you? Check back, and you'll find the contribution of both was pretty high. You might also spare a thought for the unknown developers working in the Xerox lab in Palo Alto, where most of modern-day computing comes from.

Avole, with all due respect, you're the one who should review a bit of computing history. The contribution of Dennis Ritchie to computing is 10, 20, 30 times greater than the one brought by Steve Jobs. BTW mr Jobs didn't really "invent" anything; in any case the original Apple computer was an invention of Steve Wozniak and, while revolutionary in being an affordable 'open hardware' home computer, it wasn't groundbreaking.

All other inventions have nothing to do with S. Jobs. Yes, the guy has patents... but those are DESIGN patents (i.e. the iPad contour) , and ridiculous patents such as patenting a particular way to click here so you download there.

Mouse -- Engelbert in the 60s
Graphic interfaces --- Ivan Sutherland, 1963
Modern GUIs -- The Xerox PARC research team
Modern networks -- ARPANET, 1969, a joint university effort

Calling S. Jobs "a genius of computing" (or similar) is like calling the McDonalds' founder "a genius in cuisine". The invention of UNIX (and the C language) would then be equivalent to inventing the modern stove top and the microwave oven.

Flavio, you need to check your facts. Who invented UNIX - hint - more than one person? I can't quantify someone's contribution in the way you do, it's impossible, and there were so many people whose work led to the next great innovation. I mean, surely Chris Date should get a mention somewhere.

Whether you like it or not, you have to accept Steve Jobs did contribute a lot to computing. You may find that unpleasant, but it's true nonetheless.

[atomlow]

That's easy. Love. Some people may never know, that's ok with me.

[bogle111]

Whether you like it or not, you have to accept Steve Jobs did contribute a lot to computing. You may find that unpleasant, but it's true nonetheless.

The only thing wrong with the above, is that it is completely wrong!

Jobs was an opportunist, a marketing man and a good one!! He got a lot of people to believe his was the best - great salesman. For that I admire him, everything else is someone else's but he wanted the credit. Misguided self adulation by his own success at marketing, but compared to Henry Ford, he shouldn't be in the same history book, IMO.

"A disgruntled Mac user first, then used PC and happy. I would not sanction Apple again for any of their products in my small company, unless I had money to burn."