Steve Jobs and the iPad are the subject of the cover story of this week’s Time magazine, including a remarkable photo of Mr. Jobs looking healthier than he’s appeared in the last couple of years. The story itself is part look at author Stephen Fry’s own obsession with Apple products, part mini-history of Apple, part look at Apple’s design philosophy, and part look at the iPad itself.
One passage in particular offers a poignant look at Mr. Jobs that will be nodded at by Apple enthusiats and derided and dismissed by the Apple haters in the world.
“I have met five British Prime Ministers, two American Presidents, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson and the Queen,” wrote Mr. Fry. “My hour with Steve Jobs certainly made me more nervous than any of those encounters. I know what you are thinking, but it’s the truth. I do believe Jobs to be a truly great figure, one of the small group of innovators who have changed the world. He exists somewhere between showman, perfectionist overseer, visionary, enthusiast and opportunist, and his insistence upon design, detail, finish, quality, ease of use and reliability are a huge part of Apple’s success.”
You can find this week’s Time magazine on the newstand or on the App Store (US$4.99 for the app).
Time Magazine Cover