Last month, following the death of Steve Jobs, Computerworld published a transcript of a lengthy 1995 interview with Steve Jobs conducted as part of an oral history program for the Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation.

The complete, unabridged video of that 75-minute interview has now been posted, offering an interesting look at Jobs before his return to Apple.


In the interview, Jobs touches on his childhood, education, and the future of the Internet, while also sharing thoughts on his time with Apple, NeXT, and Pixar. The interview also includes an interesting take on death being the "greatest invention of life", a theme Jobs addressed in discussing the nature of start-up companies challenging the status quo to innovate and push technology further.

I've always felt that death is the greatest invention of life. I'm sure that life evolved without death at first and found that without death, life didn't work very well because it didn't make room for the young. It didn't know how the world was fifty years ago. It didn't know how the world was twenty years ago. It saw it as it is today, without any preconceptions, and dreamed how it could be based on that. We're not satisfied based on the accomplishment of the last thirty years. We're dissatisfied because the current state didn't live up to their ideals. Without death there would be very little progress.

Jobs would of course revisit that theme ten years later in his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, but that time from a more personal perspective following his cancer diagnosis.

Top Rated Comments

macdev2010 Avatar
181 months ago
Must be interesting to watch, but with such a CRAPPY streaming performance I am not so sure...

Uploaded this video on youtube. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWvbt8d7sok Hope it helps with streaming issue.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrMotownMac Avatar
181 months ago
I only had a chance to watch the first 20 minutes or so, but it's very interesting how, for a die-hard liberal Democrat, Steve Jobs talks a lot like a conservative. He believes in "equal opportunities but not equal outcomes." I wonder how the Occupy Wall Street protesters would feel about that. Also, he was very opposed to teachers' unions, essentially saying that they were the biggest single obstacle for improving education in this country.

I wonder how he reconciled this as he voted for the likes of Barack Obama, who seems to strongly believe in equal outcomes AND in support of teachers' unions (in addition to other public employee unions).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sclawis300 Avatar
181 months ago
did someone not hand the guy a mirror before he sat down for this video taped 1 hour + interview?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rorschach Avatar
181 months ago
A lot of this is in the biography, but it's neat to watch Steve himself talk about it in his own words.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
superduperultra Avatar
180 months ago
It's up on Vimeo now, get it before it's gone: http://vimeo.com/31813340
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smolz Avatar
180 months ago
Anyone have a link to the video?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...