TheNextWeb shares the release of a tape from the Center for Design Innovation, which hosts a fascinating 1983 speech delivered by Steve Jobs, in which he very charismatically makes some predictions about the future of personal computing.
The speech includes a number of fascinating nuggets, such as Jobs stating that “By 1986, we’re going to ship more computers that automobiles in this country!” He also predicted that 3 million computers would be sold in 1983!
Jobs also offers a glimpse at his passion for design, which would eventually shape the image of Apple as we know it today. From TheNextWeb:
“One of the reasons I’m here is that I need your help,” says Jobs. “If you look at computers, they look like garbage. All the great product designers are off designing automobiles or off designing buildings. But, hardly any of them are designing computers.”
“We’re going to sell those 3 million computers whether they look like a piece of shit, or they look great,” he goes on. “It doesn’t really matter because people are going to suck this stuff up no matter what they look like. And it doesn’t really cost any more money to make them look great.”
Jobs goes on to speak of computers as the next big wave, suggesting that computers will become commonplace both at the workplace and at home – and he pleaded that we “should put a great object out there” rather than just another “hunk of junk.”
He even hints at the smartphone and tablet revolution, speaking of “portable computers with radios stuck in them” that will retrieve messages, and mentions an experiment at MIT that would eventually evolve into the StreetView feature offered by Google!
Looking back from today, Steve Jobs’ comments seem nothing short of prophetic. Steve Jobs was a visionary genius even from the early days. You can check out the full audio clip for yourself, embedded below!
