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Yesterday Steve Jobs passed away and left a void in this world. He was a true visionary who had an uncanny ability to see into the future and create products that everyone else copied.
In his address to Stanford University in 2005 Steve Jobs talked about his love of calligraphy and typography. He found it fascinating but at the time he did not know of any practical application for what he learned however when he was designing the Macintosh computer 10 years later it all came together.
http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html
He had a huge influence on millions of people’s lives including my own. Let me tell you a story.
In 1985 I was introduced to the Macintosh computer and immediately became intrigued by the way it handled typography. It was the first computer with multiple typefaces and proportionally spaced fonts. I was so amazed that in 1989 I gave up my secure job with Metro Toronto and created a startup company called Pages Desktop Printing whose mission was to help companies move from the world of typesetting and manual paste up into the world of electronic publishing. While working with Pages I was first introduced to FileMaker II. Yes, roman numeral II and no ‘Pro’ in the name at that time. FileMaker was developed by Claris and Apple Computer owned Claris.
Over the next couple of years the FileMaker development part of our business started growing and we sold off the Macintosh consulting part of Pages and renamed the company to CoreSolutions for the Macintosh. Our focus from that point was to develop software solutions for our customers using FileMaker Pro. Some years later through market influences we started developing solutions for Windows as well as Mac and today of course we continue to do that but now we have added web development tools to our toolbox.
If it was not for Steve Jobs, his fascination for typography and the Macintosh computer, CoreSolutions Software would not exist today. The great people I work with here every day would be working somewhere else and I’m not actually sure what I would be doing with my life.
Thank you Steve Jobs, you will be sadly missed but never forgotten.
Barney Lawn
CEO
CoreSolutions Software Inc.
3 Comments
A nice memorial, Barney, and your experience is one many of us share, I think. Our work, business, home life and hobbies are all solidly built on Apple technology and inspired by the work and life of Steve Jobs. Thanks for the work you do and for sharing your story and memories.
Thank you for your kind words Christian.
Just read his biography, the man was a legend! A true perfectionist! He belived in quality products from begining to end! He may have rubbed people up the wrong way now and again but he pushed the limits of what could be acheived in the computer industry ! the music industry! and the phone industry! Not to many can claim that!