Jobs will be regarded by history as an innovator who truly brought technology to the masses. One of the gripes I've always had with home computing (in the old-timey vernacular) is that it was far too complicated and fraught with danger to be a truly enjoyable, productive and intuitive experience.
Jobs turned that around by making computing almost as easy as turning on a television.
With innovations like the iPhone, the iPod Touch and the iPad, anyone, regardless of their level of computer expertise, could connect without a frustratingly steep learning curve. It seems simplistic to point this out, but imagine a 60-year-old grandmother hooking up a Windows 7 desktop computer and figuring out how to get on the internet, or to use consumer-grade software, without crippling her experience with all varieties of meltdowns, BSODs and Trojans.
And never in a million years could I have ever imagined carrying around my entire record collection -- some 6,000 songs or 17 continuous days of music, along with podcasts and photographs -- in my pocket.
Thank you, Steve Jobs.
I wonder if there's a flag-flying-at-half-mast app for my phone.