What is it about Apple that makes it such an incredible platform for app makers and users? To answer this question we must look into the visionary of Apple, the late Steve Jobs. His tragic passing has prompted numerous publications that recall his life as an innovator and legacy as a revolutionary. Time Magazine called him “The Inventor of the Future” and it is hard to dispute. He successfully revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animate movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing.
It is hard to believe that one man could accomplish so much, but it is evident in my own daily life. At this moment I am typing on a Mac OS X - an item that I consider to be as personally valuable (& awesome) as my car! I never believed I would be as excited about a device again, until I picked up my first iPhone- to this day, it has never ceased to amaze me. And you know why?- it’s designed for that. There are new apps created everyday and existing apps are easily updated to stay current to our demands as consumers. And demanding we are- Steve Jobs created a standard of perfection that is evident in his every venture.
Whereas most companies specialize in hardware or software or operating systems or retail, Apple does them all at once. Steve Job’s described this vertical integration as the “whole widget”. In reality it is the idea that, ‘if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself’. In an interview with The Independent, Jobs describes the thought behind the Mac experience:
"Other computer makers provide one part of the solution; we're the last company providing everything. With the other guys, whenever something doesn't work they all point fingers at each other -- it's the software, it's the hardware, it's the network. With us, we make the whole widget."
I believe that this is the answer to our original question: What is it about Apple that makes it such an incredible platform for app makers and users? It is the fact that Jobs successfully built a corporation he called ‘insanely great’- one that was a technological microcosm of perfection maintained by absolute control. There are guidelines and rules for Apple to accept your app into their marketplace which include a range of development topics, including user interface design, functionality, content, and the use of specific technologies. It is this intense quality control that has overseen the success of Apple designs and its app developers.
Steve Jobs has left a tremendous legacy and a high standard for simple technological perfection. He was a master of knowing what we all wanted before we did- even if that meant a phone that can also be used to test if your friends are morons. No matter the app- it is the simple, beautifully interactive interface fueled by Jobs’ innovation that we will forever appreciate.
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