For a little while, I’m not going to think about The Uncertain Future of Apple, or What This Means for The iPhone. Instead, I’m going to think about how Steve Jobs changed my life, and probably yours, too.

His vision of a computer for the rest of us. His belief in ground-breaking design. His concept of the computer as the hub of a digital lifestyle (and more recently, as just another device in a networked lifestyle). His insistence on technology that just works (a mark Apple admittedly still sometimes misses… but compared to its competitors?). That all did at least as much as any technical innovation to spur the ubiquity of computers and the adoption of the consumer Internet.

All of that helped make the work I do today possible. It has helped to shape the world my children are growing up in. And if my vision diverges from his in some pretty key areas, I also have to admit it draws even more heavily on it in others. As much money as I’ve sent his way over the years thanks to Apple’s products and services, I still owe Steve Jobs a huge, huge debt.

Thinking about Apple’s future can wait a while. For now, I wish the man only the best on what I suspect is a very tough road ahead.