Stephen Fry waxes lyrical on Steve Jobs

Everyone's favourite uber-English tech junkie, Stephen Fry, has weighed in on Steve Jobs' resignation with quite the casserole of opinions on Jobs himself, Apple, fanboys and sanity in a recorded message to the Beeb (the BBC that is, not Justin Bieber).

"I don't think there is a human being on the planet who has been as influential in the last 30 years in the way culture developed [and] has proved quite so conclusively that passion and taste and belief are more important than a hard business head," Fry explained in a break from filming The Hobbit in New Zealand.

You might say that's an outrageous exaggeration, but we're with him on that one. 'iPhone', 'iPad', 'iPod' and in fact 'Steve Jobs' are household names now -- there are few other tech firms that have intruded quite so extensively upon our tedious little lives.

"There are few more important people on this planet, and if I'd said that ten years ago, you would have thought I was completely insane." That's a bit much, Stephen, we'd have much more likely just called you 'eccentric'.

"What's been fascinating over the years is the way [Apple has] divided society -- it is quite extraordinary. People don't hate people because they drive a Ford rather than a Vauxhall, but... if you're an Android person or a BlackBerry person and you think someone is an Apple person, you not only don't let them have their Apple, you have to attack them, you have to let them know how much you hate them and everything they stand for."

It's certainly true that most people will put themselves in one camp or another, but really, the only true question to be vitriolic about is whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit. It's a cake by the way -- we're happy for people to have their own opinions, just as long as they understand they're wrong.

"Steve Jobs, as well as being the most successful businessman really of his era... has divided society," Fry blathered on.

"[Jobs'] idea of the home computer leapt forward in terms of user interface -- the menus, the mouse and everything else -- while other computers were miles behind. Of course he didn't invent that technology, but he had the foresight to see this is where the future lay.

"The idea that you have to be an inventor to be proven is nonsense -- Enzo Ferrari didn't invent the engine nor did Rolls or Royce invent the carburettor -- it's how you implement it and it's how you push it forward that is the mark of your contribution to this field."

We didn't invent the concept about writing about tech either, but that doesn't mean we don't continually reinvent what it means to be awesome at it.

"I've gone on far too long." Nonsense, Stephen, it's always a pleasure. Feel free to drop round to CNET UK Towers sometime for a coffee and a chat, we'll pre-warm a chair for you.

Head on over to the Beeb to hear the whole message and make sure you let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page your thoughts on the situation. Do you agree with Stephen Fry? Would you even dare disagree?

Image credit: StephenFry.com