Park Slope Mac Support Store Remembers Steve Jobs

The world has surely felt , co-founder of Apple, for his work transformed the way humans interact with technology. 

Steve Jobs died Wednesday, October 5, from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 56.

Memorials have popped up outside of Mac stores in Manhattan and even President Obama sent his condolenses, but there is a little store on 7th Street, between Third and Fourth avenues, that does not have any candles, flowers or apples with a single bite taken out to memorialize the late legend, but that doesn’t mean the store hasn’t been affected by his death. 

in Park Slope, the only authorized Apple repair shop in the neighborhood, is not doing anything big to memorialize the passing of Jobs. They did post a picture of him on their website displaying the years of his life, 1955-2011, and sent an email out to their customers notifying them of the news. But the real memorial was in conversation.

Patch caught up with one of their staff members to chat about the man’s importance to Apple, technology in general and any one who just so much as fiddled with a MacBook or any product starting with a lowercase "i."

“Certainly this is far greater than just Apple, Steve Jobs was the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs, it doesn’t matter what ball park you’re in,” said Beto Cravioto, who was wearing thick black framed glasses as he sat behind an iMac. “He’s basically made everything more convenient—we all use something he’s created, we all have Apple computers.”

Right as you walk into the repair shop sits a pyramid of five Apple II computers. The top most computer, which is a boxy blast from the past, still works and the screen reads: Please Sign in and Have a Seat Thanks!!!!

Jobs, who started Apple in his California garage with his high school friend Stephen Wozniak, defined the personal computer and oversaw the creation of the iPod, iPhone and iPad. In turn, Jobs revolutionized the music industry, mobile communications, how people consume media and how we watch TV and movies on sleek, powerful touch screen devices. The technology that the blue jeans-wearing genuis is responsible have become so important to our lives, so easy to use and have the ability to be personalized and individualized with apps, that they are basically extensions of our selves. 

“He intertwined technology and art itself with his creativity,” said Cravioto, who makes dance music on his iMac. He converts old vinyl records to digital files and then “equalizes and enhances” the song and remixes and reedits the tunes into “danceable” disco-funk tracks. “I make music, running on logic, I couldn’t imagine making music on a PC.”

The last song he remixed was a rare dig he found, Julie Stradmeyer’s “Guilty.” Another reedit he did recently was of Diana Ross’s “My Soul is Empty Without You.”

Jobs is listed as the principal inventor or as one inventor in 313 Apple patents, according to The New York Times. His leadership, creativity, eye for design, business savvy, and inventiveness is truly unrivaled. 

“He has a legacy behind him with technology in general: He simplified it for everyone. It seems like his role at Apple was really a one-man company,” said Cravioto in the shop, which has a wall lined with almost 15 brightly colored iMac in their iconic translucent cases, just for decoration. “I think the good thing about Steve Jobs is that he will live on in his devices, in his works of art.”