Only recently, a never before seen video of Steve Jobs came to light, in which the famous Apple co-founder speaks with precision about the future of computers. The video, shared by Jony Ive, Apple’s former head of design, reflects Jobs’s vision and his deep understanding of the major changes that were about to happen.
One year before the launch of the Macintosh, Jobs made predictions that sounded absurd at the time at the 1983 International Design Conference in Aspen. He predicted that sales of personal computers would one day surpass car sales and that within ten years people would spend more time with personal computers than with cars.
The Personal Computer Revolution
Jobs described the computer as an inevitable new category and urged the designers in the audience to think about the design of these products. He stressed that, whether well or poorly designed, they would still go into production, underlining the importance of thoughtful design.
The 55-minute video was added to the Steve Jobs Archive, with an introduction written by Ive. He reflects on Jobs’s victory through beauty, purity and, as Jobs would say, through caring. Jobs believed that when we create something useful, empowering and beautiful, we express our love for humanity. This unreleased video offers a window into the past and a bridge to the present, and shows how Jobs’s predictions became reality. The revolution he described more than 40 years ago did happen, in part due to his deep commitment to a kind of civic responsibility.
The video serves as a powerful reminder that Jobs’s ideas still influence the tech industry and culture in general. He not only predicted the future, he also played a key role in shaping products that would change our culture and our lives forever.
