Think different.

If you’re in the creative field, you may have instantly identified with the slogan that accompanied the rainbow-colored apple marking the resurgence of Macintosh in 1997 from a decade in the doldrums. When comeback kid Steve Jobs launched the new iMacs, however, I could only drool at the smart-looking desktops that lined the office of a friend who had enough cash to splurge on the expensive computers.

But those fonts, the colors, and of course the now widely copied GUI (or graphical user interface, for geeks who are too young to remember) set-up were constantly in my daydreams and so when I bagged my first major consultancy in 1998, the first item on my shopping list was a PowerBook.

Since then, I’ve averaged about one laptop every four years, bought with hard-earned funds from fellowships to book contracts. Unlike ordinary laptops, my Macs have never crashed or given me any major problem, although they do tend to conk out after three to four years of use. From a business standpoint, I guess what looks like planned obsolescence does guarantee sales growth for Apple, but I must admit it also allows computer users to keep pace with fast-changing technology.

I’m writing this now on my Macbook Pro, and yes, I first learned about Steve Jobs’ death in a text message sent to my iPhone. Unlike my computers, the phone is an office-issued gadget that was a no-brainer when I was asked to select a unit for our new mobile subscriptions. I have come to rely on it so much that after a while, I realized all the clichés about how you never really know what you’re missing until you get hold of an iPhone are true.

So how do I love my iPhone? Let’s start with the main icons:

1. Calendar – no need for a planner when you have this tool
2. Maps – gives you no more reason to get lost
3. Weather – it’s more reliable than Pagasa
4. Notes – pen and paper have become obsolete with this neat little yellow pad
5. Camera – takes photos and videos that can pass muster for social media posts
6. Nike + iPod – monitors my walking speed and distance, among other things
7. iPod – useful for long walks and tuning out the world when you feel like it
8. YouTube – free lectures from Harvard, check, plus the latest viral videos
9. App store – download everything from news sites to the Louvre collection
10. Clock – the alarm, timer, and stopwatch are necessary for urban survival
11. Calculator – its design looks just like the real thing
12. Recorder – mic is way cool and says Voice Memos but records any speech too

Of course it does have the usual phone and text functions, with conversations that have been imitated by other phones, and many of these add-ons are not really new. But they’re so much easier and fun to use on the iPhone. Also, I have to add that I have unlimited browsing so I’m able to check out the maps and weather and even make the New York Times my bedtime reading without worrying about the cost.

The downside, as any multiple gadget user will tell you, is that it’s not easy to share telephone numbers or connect the iPhone with other phones or computers. Like other Apple devices, it’s also dependent on pre-approved programs and apps. But then again, any creative mind will totally understand the obsessive-compulsive traits of Steve Jobs. Aside from the obvious business considerations, anyone with such a superior device certainly wouldn’t want any lesser mortal fiddling with it.

And that, for me, is the biggest contribution of Steve Jobs to the world of ideas and technology. He opened the eyes of consumers to the limitless possibilities of good taste and pushed everyone to go beyond mediocrity. If Steve Jobs had his famous “and one more thing” to showcase those little extras, Pinoys should adopt a “hindi puwede ang puwede na” attitude and not settle for ho-hum products.

For now, I’m still waiting for my best friend to part with his second iPad II – why anyone would need to have two iPads is beyond me – to complete my arsenal of Apple tools. Hey Mr. __, yes that’s you.

Email insightful comments to yarquiza@gmanews.tv or follow me on Twitter @amihanews