Steve Job's Wall-E

Presenting Steve Job's Wall-E from the animated film of the same name. I loved the movie. Wall-E is one of those movies that nearly brought me to tears so when the toys were released I had to get a Wall-E and an EVE--which I did.

But this great character and toy would not exist without Steve Jobs, who was one of the founders of Pixar Animation Studios. When Pixar was eventually acquired by Disney, Steve Jobs went on to becoming one of Disney's Board of Directors.

Why am I writing this? Well I don't own a MAC or any Macintosh product although my wife uses an iPad. I'm one of the few people who started their careers working with a Macintosh--back when they were stubby blocks--but decided that PCs were better (Yes, I said it! Live with it!). Till today, I still prefer PCs. But I have to acknowledge Steve Job's contribution to the field of animation, which most people seem to overlook while taking the time to praise their iPads, iPhones and iMacs. I think that give it a few years, this technology will be obsolete and fade from memory replaced by better devices with catchier names. But Wall-E and Pixar's other classics? These will go on for as part of our cultural lore forever. That Steve Jobs was a part of that will and should be a part of his Legacy.


What's to like about Steve Job's Wall-E?

It's Wall-E! What's not to like? Steve Job's Wall-E is battery-powered. His eyes light up when you turn him on and the internal mechanisms start moving his arms and head. Unfortunately no, when you turn him on, he does not start up with the trademark Macintosh start-up tone like he does in the cartoon.

Steve Job's Wall-E comes with a pop-open front to reveal a sticker filled with compacted garbage. He is, after all,a garbage compactor.

He also comes with decently articulated claws--not the arms, unfortunately--and working, realistic threads--so you can actually roll him along any smooth surface (kinda slowly though, but then tank threads were never meant for speed).

But Steve Job's Wall-E's real fun lies in his voice-activated interactivity. Watch this video to see just how fun Steve Job's Wall-E and EVE can be.

What's not to like about Steve Job's Wall-E?

The biggest--and only, in my opinion--problem with Steve Job's Wall-E is that he is not a toy. In fact, there is a warning on his back that says "Caution: Do not turn Wall-E's head as it may damage the delicate internal mechanism" Given that the arms are connected to the same mechanism, I assumed that that included not touching his arms as well. So it may look like a lot of fun, but if you want him to last you cannot really play with it or give it to children.

Now here's the really, really bad news for those who want one. Steve Job's Wall-E is worth US$ 95.99 now in Amazon (roughly PhP 4,127.00 plus shipping). So if you have one of these, know that his cost has appreciated since it was released in 2008. I purchased him at retail price back then for around US$ 29.99 (Which was around PhP 1,500 back then)

EVE, his girlfriend, is available on Amazon for a WHOPPING  US$ 299.75 (PhP 12,899 plus shipping).

All because of Steve Jobs.

Steven Paul Jobs: Feb 24, 1995 - Oct 5, 2011