The Lite Side

Steve Jobs, Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes that Succeed

- 2003.08.05

Everyone knows Steve Jobs is not what you'd describe as a Nice Man. He yells at his employees. He berates his competitors. He ruthlessly cuts projects that have lots of devoted followers.

However, he does serve as a role model for a specific character trait which is well regarded. This trait is the source of his fabled Reality Distortion Field. We here at the Lite Side aren't Catholic, but that's not going to stop us from nominating Steve Jobs as the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes that Succeed Despite Everyone's Better Judgment

Consider the evidence. To be considered for sainthood a person must have performed three miracles, according to Father Guido Sarducci. Here are Steve's:

The original founding of Apple Computer from his garage; against all odds he and Woz founded a company which took on the status quo and changed computing for everyone.
He resurrected Apple Computer from the Dark Days of the mid 90s when everyone thought the "beleaguered" company was about to tank.
He provided a model for online music sales that actually worked, despite everyone saying that online theft will undercut legal sales.

Saints are supposed to be dead - let's waive that requirement for now.

If he can't be a saint, he can at least be the driving force behind one of Murphy's Laws: The success and profitability of Apple Computer is inversely proportional to the number of pundits declaring it to be on its deathbed.

Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Recent Lite Sides

You Might Be a Computer Geek If..., 2009.06.17. 20 signs that you just might possibly be a computer geek.
What if Apple thought like a PC company?, 2007.11.01. Apple has innovated and blazed its own trail. But what if it had followed the path taken by the PC copycats?
How Microsoft can turn Vista lemons into lemonade, 2007.10.22. How Microsoft could profit by no longer allowing manufacturers to sell new PCs with Windows XP installed.
More in the The Lite Side index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, introduced 1990.03.19. This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
February 14 in LEM history: 98: A perfect compact Mac - 00: Extended computer warranties worth the cost? - Making your PC work with your Mac - 01: Customize Microsoft Word - 02: Quadra revives a passion for computing - 03: Real world performance - DIY Pismo screen replacement - Best Mac for writing - 03: Fastest browser on the Mac - 06: 15" MacBook Pro - Impressions of a newly acquired Lisa - Finding and using free WiFi - Apple should liberate OS 9 - 07: New Mac mini cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac - 08: Falling in love with OS X
Support Low End Mac

Recent Deals

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2012 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.

Custom Search

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.

Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay