Like millions of others, Steve Jobs changed my life.

Back in the 80's, my first experience with an Apple computer was on the job here at a Univerisity-based hospital. Because we are a teaching facility, I learned computer animation programming on an $ 85,000 (yep, that's THOUSAND dollars) Apple to create a simulation for instructing nurses on how to use a new infusion pump.

It was incredibly COOL.

It made me dream of having my very own Apple, but alas, I would have to wait. And wait. And wait. The new millennium arrived and my very first Apple came in the form of my iPod. Now I could listen to my entire music library wherever I went.

It was awesomely COOL.

It was also well after we had given daughter her very own iPod, but before she received an iPod Touch for another birthday.

They were too COOL.

A few years back, I did a short talk on computing at a GE conference. One of the gifts I received was probably the smallest, but the best: an iPod Shuffle.

It was miniaturized COOL.

Then last year, I finally received my very own Apple computer. My iPad came free with my car purchase... not the reason I bought the car of course

But it was insanely COOL.

I am never without my iPad. I use it daily. It HAS changed my life -- no question. Just a few weeks ago, daughter got her very first Mac for her University Computer Science courses so she can carry on the family tradition of computer programming.

Yep, it is too COOL for school.

So thank you Steve.