All Things Travel: Steve Jobs And His Lasting Legacy
BOSTON (CBS) - While not mentioned in the tributes to the passing of Steve Jobs, his greatest legacy may be the Apple logo.
I first noticed it at Logan Airport perhaps eight or nine years ago. Laptop computers were just coming of age and business travelers were using them at airline clubs and working at the gate before boarding planes. These travelers were always searching out plugs and wifi had not entered the language.
At first I thought it strange that Apple would invest a few extra dollars to illuminate the cover of their laptop, but it became a status symbol.
You can be sure when my children gave me an iPad for my birthday that the Apple logo in silver was on the white box and the materials for the One To One lessons membership. The glass frontage at their Boston Boylston Street store features the symbol and the lights are kept on long after the staff goes home.
The simplicity of it all. I'll bet Steve Jobs had a hand in all of these decisions.
I have done business with a lot of good marketing men and women in the travel media business and before that, when I had a public relations firm. Show me a successful business owner and I will show you someone who looks at every detail.
In Thursday's "Wall Street Journal," there was a story by Walter Mossberg, who covered Apple for a long time. Jobs used to call him on Sunday nights and it turned into a 90-minute session about Apple and life in general. I had the same experience with Frank Perdue when I represented the chicken company.
About 15 years ago, I decided to do a 10th Anniversary piece for our newspaper "Travel New England" on the ten most influential people in New England travel. Dave Paresky, then president of Crimson Travel, later sold to American Express, was on the list and I wanted to get his opinion on my selection and his list.
He agreed to call me at the appointed hour that evening and proceeded to take 45 minutes to go over every name and offer constructive suggestions.
Give me a business person who is totally involved in the details any day. Even the Steve Jobs black turtleneck and jeans never varied. I never met Steve Jobs, but would have liked to have had lunch with him. My guess is that it would have been over in 15 minutes.
Bob Weiss and "All Things Travel" can be heard weekends on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
