The big news in the US today is the death of Apple co-founder and Technology God Steve Jobs at the young age of 56. 

My first experience with an apple computer was in 1983, I was about 11 when my dad won a $5,000 gift certificate to a local retail giant.  Everyone was able to pick out what they wanted.  I wanted a computer.  I wanted an Apple IIe.  This was when my geek-dom began.  I remember playing games, using a few applications that were loaded on large hand size floppy disks.  I was one of the only kids in my entire school with my own computer.

Several years later in 1988 I purchased one of the first Macintosh Computers.  It was considered portable back in the day.  That meant that it came with a soft-sided carrying case similar to the ones you see "pizza guys" carrying today.  I used to pack it up and bring it over to friend's houses to show-off. When I first started college I upgraded to a Mac 660av.  This machine had Bose speakers in the color 17" monitor.  WOW.

In 1992 when I was in college I purchased my first laptop, a mono-chrome PowerBook.  I think it was around $2500.  They were only available in gray-scale, no color yet.  This laptop had a modem inside of it which allowed me to connect to American online and some local chat rooms.  As a student I worked at the University troubleshooting Apple products that professors had in their offices.

After college my first job was at the University in the computer services office where I had the opportunity to learn and use the Macintosh as a graphic design tool.  I learned Quark Xpress, Illustrator, and Photoshop just to name a few.  I was becoming a true Mac-head. 

My next job was at a large Apple reseller to K-12 in the upper Midwest.  It was at this company that I really learned everything I know today about Macs.  I was also lucky enough to play with all of the new toys as they came out.  Toys like scanners, Apple Quick-take camera, Newton, and the color laser writer.  In the mid 90's these were cutting edge toys. 

I was such a Geek that I even purchased several NeXT computers, which were made by Steve Jobs during his time when he was fired from Apple. There was a time in our community when I was known as one of the best Mac guys around.

The first company that I started used all Macintosh computers and Apple servers to host the websites that we developed for customers.  We remained a Mac shop until we "converted to the dark side" as we grew and needed to interface with other systems.

There was a period between 1998 and 2002 when I did not own a single Apple product.  All of that changed when the IPod was released.  Since then I have jumped back on the bandwagon with a IPod, Power book and IPad all under the Apple brand.

Here are a few of the things that I learned from Apple:

1. Innovate, not follow. 
2. Its ok to be ahead of your time (Newton, Quicktake camera)
3. Build beautiful things
4. Build things that are easy to use
5. Have passion
6. Stock-pile cash

Here are ways that Apple has influenced me: 

1. Apple made me interested in technology. 
2. Apple drew me to use and understand software. 
3. Apple allowed me to realize that I could do anything with a computer.
4. Apple gave me something to be great at.
5. Apple introduced me to one of my longest and best team members (Amy was buying a computer at the University where I worked)

There are many things that would not be today if it were not for Apple computer and Steve Jobs.  Call Scheduler may be one of them.   I thank him for everything that he has done for the technology world and think that we live in a better place because of him.  RIP Steve Jobs.