“In the late 1970s and ’80s, that might have been true — but today, it’s hard to argue that Apple’s expensive products are egalitarian. Its personal computers are user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, but there are plenty of cheaper more practical alternatives out there. And as this XKCD cartoon points out, as more and more of what we want from computers moves online, the actual device you’re using is going become far less important. As for the iPhone, it’s great. I love mine. But is it improving the world in some tangible way? If there’s a phone driving innovation among the global masses it’s the exceedingly generic Nokia 1100, not anything with a touch screen. Even the upwardly-mobile in the developing world tend to favor the open membership plans and free messaging service provided by BlackBerry.”
— It’s hard to deny that Steve Jobs has been enormously influential on the development of both desktop and mobile computing, but influence isn’t everything. In other news, the Linux kernel turns 20 years old today.
(Source: blog.foreignpolicy.com)
