Jobs (Movie)

Jobs movie poster

I watched two feature movies and one documentary based on the life of the Founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs. The first movie I saw was “Steve Jobs” (2015) and then “Jobs” (2013.) I prefer the latter as Ashton Kutcher looks more similar to Jobs than Jobs himself!!!

I watched the movie “Jobs” several times as I admire the work of this genius of a man, Steve Jobs, the books written about him and the movies made about him. When I first heard that Ashton Kutcher was playing the title role of the movie, I had my doubts if Kutcher was the appropriate man. But within the first few minutes into the movie I understood that he has done more than mere justice to the role.

The opening scene of the movie was of a middle-aged Steve Jobs introducing his iPod at one of the much hyped Apple product launches in 2001.The film ends with Jobs doing the “Think Different” commercial in 1997. Within these two important events of Apple’s journey which became a legend, the movie takes us through Job’s youthful, irresponsible and rebellious days. The movie takes us to Jobs’ Reed College days and how he dropped out in 1974. Jobs meets up with Daniel Kottke, who together travels to India and later becomes part of the Apple team.

Success comes to Jobs after meeting with Steve Wozniak, of course with the former’s incredible marketing talents. Thus, Apple Computer is born at Jobs parents’ garage. But Jobs is devastated when he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant. He initially denies paternity of the baby, citing that his girlfriend had multiple partners and one of them could possibly be the father of the unborn child.

Jobs strikes gold with his Apple products and becomes a very successful businessman. But due to his constant quarreling, irritating and irrational ways, he loses his friends, colleagues and partners and as a result, finds himself at loggerheads with the management of his own company, which forces him out of the very organization that he built.

I will not go into further details of the rest of the story, as it could affect your curiosity to watch the movie. All I can say is that this is a great movie and Ashton Kutcher’s acting as Jobs is more than entertaining. I know there are several other feature movies and documentaries produced about this legendary inventor called Steve Jobs, but do not miss Ashton Kutcher version of “Jobs”. It is well worth spending your time to watch it.

Steve Jobs – The Inspirational Life Story Of Steve Jobs, The Fruit Company That Changed Our World – Gregory Watson

Even though I had already read Walter Isaacson’s comprehensive biography on Steve Jobs, I still wanted to read the shorter biography written by Gregory Watson about the greatest inventor of our times, the legendary Steve Jobs. I admire the man as much as or more than the Apple users do. I had the pleasure of using an Apple Macintosh computer at my mentor Mr. Donald Gaminitillake’s house and ever since I fell in love with Apple products. But right now, the only Apple product I use is iTunes Windows version as I do not have access to the other Apple devices.

“Steve Jobs – The Inspirational Life Story Of Steve Jobs, The Fruit Company That Changed Our World” gives us an account of Job’s life and that of the Apple Inc. in a shorter and sweeter way. The book takes the reader through Job’s childhood full of mischief and at times disagreeable & offensive practices. It takes us through an exciting journey through Job’s humble beginnings to a tech and business giant. A lot of ups and downs hampered his success during early years of his career. The man was so obstinate that he would not listen to anybody else but to his heart. He is not a man who can continue relationships, be it with his fiancée, daughter, a colleague or a member of a board of directors of his own company. As a result, he had to leave the very company he cofounded with his colleague Steve Wozniak. Jobs did not lose much with that terrible act by the board but Apple Inc. and the rest of the world did. Being away from Apple Inc. for a ten-year period affected the company in a way that was devastating to the consumers, shareholders, coworkers, the Board of Directors and the rest of the world. Ultimately, the Board of Directors had to go and coax Jobs to rejoin the company and save it. He not only saved the company from a near bankruptcy, he made it the world’s biggest and the most profitable tech company.

The author tells us how Jobs revived the company by introducing a range of products that included iPod, iTouch, iPhone, iPad, iMac, Macbook, etc. while discontinuing the products that were less profitable like Apple printers, scanners, modems, etc. and streamlining the earlier mentioned product line.

Finally the author briefly discusses about Job’s ill-health due to pancreatic cancer, which attacked him at his prime as an inventor and a businessman. How many more inventions would he have invented had he lived a few more years?