Last Updated on: 27th September 2013, 05:30 am
Well damn it all. Even though I had a feeling this would happen sooner than later, when it does happen, it sucks. Steve Jobs has died. He was only 56. Whatever has been beating him about for the last while finally got him.
Although I don’t own an iDevice right now, the very first computer I ever had that spoke was an Apple IIE. I know the Echo synth and the Bex program weren’t Apple’s creation, but still, the very first computer that showed me that yes, it was possible for computers to talk was an Apple.
I remember the first day I saw one talking. I was pretty excited. This meant all that silly typing on a manual typewriter *was* for a purpose greater than typing. It made me realize just how awesome a computer could be for me, and this was long before the internet and email, and long long long long loooong before the iExplosion of products that came with a screen reader built right into them.
Most blind people I know seem to have an iPhone, iPad, iPod. Hell, I may join the ranks some day when my N86 dies. The direction Apple chose to go, whether or not given a hard nudge by the NFB, has opened a lot of doors for a lot of people. I think of Ro as just one example.
Damn it, Steve Jobs, why’d you have to die so young? Well, you’ve left quite a legacy. Many will never forget what you contributed to the technology world, blind or not.