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Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was today posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Joe Biden. When announcing recipients earlier this week, The White House said that Jobs' inventions changed the way the world communicates.

steve-jobs-holding-iphone-4-feature-teal.jpg
Steve Jobs (d. 2011) was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recognized Jobs' award on Twitter, and said that he was a "visionary" who saw the world for "what it could be."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States, and it is given to those who have "made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."


Jobs was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside Simone Biles, Sister Simone Campbell, Julieta García, Gabrielle Giffords, Fred Gray, Father Alexander Karloutsos, Khizr Khan, Sandra Lindsay, John McCain (posthumous), Diane Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Richard Trumka (posthumous), Wilma Vaught, Denzel Washington, and Raúl Yzaguirre.

Article Link: Steve Jobs Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
 

apparatchik

macrumors 6502a
Mar 6, 2008
845
2,615
Yes Steve has done a great job in enslaving our populations of the world to technology. I have met him a couple of times and I could never say he was a nice person.

The guy might not have been Mr. Congeniality with strangers or even employees, but his capacity to lead multiple endeavours to world changing success, which is what the award acknowledges, is not in doubt. It seems he had very few close friends all of which miss him dearly AFAIK.

If you enjoy an Apple product, you probably enjoy his work and legacy, as Apple was months from bankruptcy at the time he came back and the world is truly different from what happened from the company going forward up until now.
 

Apple$

macrumors 6502
May 21, 2021
351
650
Congratulations to his legacy for innovation and dedication to the technology industry! Without him, we would be typing on physical keyboards to this day!
 

BWhaler

macrumors 68040
Jan 8, 2003
3,788
6,244
I agree we cherish his memory. And I hope this award brings great joy to Steve’s family and the people of Apple.

I can’t help but think Steve would not be interested in this award if he was still with us. Just doesn’t seem like his cup of tea. But again, what matters now is the joy it will bring others who knew and loved him and the importance of remembering what Steve stood for.
 

coolfactor

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2002
7,096
9,826
Vancouver, BC
Yes Steve has done a great job in enslaving our populations of the world to technology. I have met him a couple of times and I could never say he was a nice person.

Do you drive a gas-guzzling vehicle, or any vehicle at all? Are you enslaved to motorized transport?

Do you watch television? Are you enslaved to entertainment channeled into your home?

Do you eat fast food? Are you enslaved to quick, delicious, cheap meals (that aren't necessarily the most healthy)?

===

We make our own choices. If people choose to use and consume certain aspects our age, that is their choice. Steve isn't responsible for *forcing* anybody to do anything, not like true slaves were.

More fitting companies for your description would be Microsoft, Google and Facebook where they actually strategized how to limit choice for consumers by putting their products everywhere. Need a PC? Most PC manufacturers were forced through licensing to use Microsoft Windows, thereby taking choice away from consumers.

===

Steve instilled some very important principles into Apple, such as limiting the scope of product lines (the number 3 was a magic number), and putting a strong focus on a customer-first strategy.
 

Edsel

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2010
651
1,235
Over There
Yes Steve has done a great job in enslaving our populations of the world to technology. I have met him a couple of times and I could never say he was a nice person.
"Throughout his life, he struggled socially—his lack of charm and gruff manner resulting in having few close friends. In short, the real reason he developed a habit of locking himself away in his lab was that couldn’t stand interacting with most other people." - Forbes
This is how Thomas Edison was viewed. Not unlike Steve Jobs. Unless someone could contribute to Mr. Jobs vision, he didn't have much use for them. Life is short. Steve knew that and pursued his vision relentlessly.
 

tywebb13

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2012
2,948
1,636
You can watch it here


With 17 recipients the whole thing is quite long, so you can either choose to watch the whole thing or you can use the following to just watch the bits about Jobs to make it go quicker.

Laurene Powell Jobs (who later receives the medal on behalf of Steve Jobs) is announced at 0:43 and walks in at 0:54

Biden first mentions Jobs at 25:20

Jobs is awarded the medal at 39:42

Maybe someone might later rip and edit it to make a more Jobs-specific version, if they haven’t already.

EDIT: The video has been shortened slightly since yesterday and so these times have changed accordingly.
 
Last edited:

ackmondual

macrumors 68020
Dec 23, 2014
2,434
1,147
U.S.A., Earth
Oh, there's that sense of deja vu! The current article...
"Steve Jobs Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom"

... vs. the article from last Friday...
"Steve Jobs to Be Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom"

I thought MR purposely posted the same article twice as a tribute to Job's influence :D
 
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