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> treating him like some sort of god who invented anything with an on switch

actually, he never invented anything with an on/off switch; he claimed so in one of those 60 minute interviews because it reminded him of death



That is incorrect, plenty of Apple devices had an on/off switch. The original Macintosh and LaserWriter, to name a few [1][2].

The quote you were referring to:

"ISAACSON: I remember sitting in [Jobs'] backyard in his garden one day and he started talking about God. He said, "Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don't. I think it's 50-50 maybe. But ever since I've had cancer, I've been thinking about it more. And I find myself believing a bit more. I kind of-- maybe it's 'cause I want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn't just all disappear. The wisdom you've accumulated. Somehow it lives on. The he paused for a second and he said 'yeah, but sometimes I think it's just like an on-off switch. Click and you're gone.' He said—and paused again, and he said, "And that's why I don't like putting on-off switches on Apple devices."

[1] Original Mac on/off switch: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/AnOrigina...

[2] LaserWriter (on/off switch is on the left side): http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/wp-content/gallery/gallery_jo...


I find it hilarious he managed to put a little Apple tag-line on an existential crisis (and it worked), "marketeer" indeed. Ups for the stat.




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