Apple is the New NASA?

Matt Haughey:

When I was a kid, the future was filled with optimism. The year 2000 was 10-20 years away and it was this magical goal we were working towards. I was obsessed with astronauts, especially those in NASA that got to ride in the space shuttle. While I never made it to spacecamp, I envied the kids that did. I never stopped looking for that optimistic future. It’s something every tech nerd craves and I think that’s why we got into the technology field to start with: to make the world better. Anyway, today I realized why I transformed from longtime skeptic of Apple computer to total fanboy in the past three years. Apple creates technology that makes things better. Portable music, wireless networking, laptops, photos on your digital camera, video on your camcorder, movies on your TV, and now the dreaded cellphone. These are all things that have been a hassle for some time. Today I realized the feeling of optimism that I held dear when I was a kid — that everything was going to work out and be better for everyone when I got older — isn’t captured by the folks at NASA anymore. It’s the people at Apple that provide that.

I have been to Space Camp (I actually used to be a volunteer SCUBA diver for the Space and Rocket Center), used to live less than 30 miles from NASA in Florida, and love the innovation of Apple.(although I have yet to switch to the Mac).

I like this analogy. While I don't think Apple captures the imagination quite like NASA used to, it has revolutionized the computer and electronics industries on several occasions and shows no signs of slowing down. Let's hope that trend continues long into the future.

Maybe all the enthusiasm about Apple helps explain this.