Last week was pretty big if you’re an Apple fanboy like me.

Happiness

It started off with the announcement I’ve been waiting for for several years — my hometown carrier, Sprint, will now carry the iPhone as an option. The Kansas City Star actually ran a story where my excitement about the device coming to Sprint was the lead.

To say that I’m excited is an understatement. I’ve been wanting an iPhone since the device came out, but my loyalty to my friends who work for our hometown company has outweighed that desire. Plus, since I’m a part of Sprint’s Advantage Plan, my monthly is pretty cheap. With family members also on Sprint in other cities, those free mobile-to-mobile minutes add up. Combine that with unlimited texting and data plans included (vs. a hefty increase on other carriers…I mean, SERIOUSLY, who would pay $20/month for unlimited texting?) and I haven’t been able to make the switch.

Now, I can. The iPhone 4S is scheduled to replace my crappy HTC Hero as soon as is humanly possible. I can’t wait.

Sadness

I’m not an engineer and I rarely design things anymore and yet, Steve Jobs passing still made me really sad.

Whether you are an Apple fanboy like me or not, his impact on the world is pretty remarkable. Not only was he responsible for bring the iPhone to fruition, he:

• revolutionized the music industry, proving that people will pay for their music if you make it easy.
• brought joy to the lives of both kids and adults through his contributions to entertainment through his leadership at Pixar.
• proved that small details matter when it comes to design and that people like simple things that just work.

I’m not going to go on and on about his influence in my life…frankly, I just loved his products and respected the diligence and attention to detail that he put into everything that he did. He was just a man after all. He had flaws. He wasn’t perfect. But he was an exceptional guy.

I lost my Uncle Larry to pancreatic cancer in 2006. It’s a horrible, nearly unbeatable form of the disease. It sucks. My heart goes out to his family. Instead of being sad, I’m going to try and just make something amazing. I think that’s what both Steve and my Uncle Larry would appreciate.