--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had never dropped in on that single…" description: "\"If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/steve-jobs-307_college_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_173766.jpg" --- # If I had never dropped in on that single course in… ![“If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/steve-jobs-307_college_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_173766.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/steve-jobs-307_college_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_173766.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/steve-jobs-307_college_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_173766.jpg) > “If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His chance encounter with a college course sparked the Mac's typographic innovations, which later influenced Windows and personal computing design. **In simple terms:** A college course led to the Mac's fonts, shaping PC design. Key Takeaway Recognize how small opportunities can drive major tech advances. Themes innovation design technology impact serendipity Mood reflective inspired Type historical technological When to use this quote - Graphic design - software development - product strategy - educational influence Key Concepts Typography user interface platform convergence Questions to Reflect On - What overlooked experiences could shape your field? - How can you seek unexpected learning opportunities? A Different Perspective If the course hadn't existed, fonts might have stayed limited, affecting visual communication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single-course-in-college-the-mac-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The profusion of fonts is one more product of the digital revolution. Beginning in the mid-'80s and accelerating in the 1990s, type design weathered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-profusion-of-fonts-is-one-more-product-of-the-digital-revolution/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [There is no idea so bad that it cannot be made to look brilliant with the proper application of fonts and color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/there-is-no-idea-so-bad-that-it-cannot-be-made-to-look-brilliant-with/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [For me, the eye and the word go together. Even when I was working in word documents, I was always obsessed with fonts, size,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-tupitsyn/for-me-the-eye-and-the-word-go-together-even-when-i-was-working-in/) [Masha Tupitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-tupitsyn/) > [“At least I'm not a font nerd." "A what?" Matt smiled. "You know. People who love fonts. There are people who go to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-park/at-least-i-m-not-a-font-nerd-a-what-matt-smiled-you-know-people-who/) [Jessica Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-park/) > [In the afterlife you don't have to worry about looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-wood/in-the-afterlife-you-don-t-have-to-worry-about-looking-for-work/) [Ed Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-wood/) > [Are some free fonts a gift to humanity rather than a blight on typographic civilization ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-lupton/are-some-free-fonts-a-gift-to-humanity-rather-than-a-blight-on/) [Ellen Lupton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-lupton/) > [Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/clearly-when-we-baptize-our-eyes-should-gaze-beyond-the-baptismal/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [ The Canon AE1 - a fully manual camera. \[My mother\] had a 50mm, which is a standard lens, and then I got a 28mm.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vespa/the-canon-ae1-a-fully-manual-camera-my-mother-had-a-50mm-which-is-a/) [Jeff Vespa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vespa/) > [Fonts. I get emotional over fonts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/fonts-i-get-emotional-over-fonts/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I hate videos. I'm meticulous on everything from cover art, fonts, productions, mixing. But when it comes to videos, I just feel so defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/questlove/i-hate-videos-i-m-meticulous-on-everything-from-cover-art-fonts/) [Questlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/questlove/) > [The problem with these interviews is that there's no sarcastic font.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/the-problem-with-these-interviews-is-that-there-s-no-sarcastic-font/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [I was never really satisfied with writing only text or with the way my texts looked when they were published. Most online journals have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-tupitsyn/i-was-never-really-satisfied-with-writing-only-text-or-with-the-way/) [Masha Tupitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-tupitsyn/) > [In giving presentations, use the 10/20/30 rule…use only 10 slides, take 20 minutes maximum, and use at least 30-point fonts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/in-giving-presentations-use-the-10-20-30-rule-use-only-10-slides-take/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [For whenever unbaptized persons die confessing Christ, this confession is of the same efficacy for the remission of sins as if they were washed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/for-whenever-unbaptized-persons-die-confessing-christ-this-confession/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More College quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Children should finish school and even go to college if they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fuller/children-should-finish-school-and-even-go-to-college-if-they-can/) [Robert Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fuller/) > [I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-was-totally-sober-in-college-and-really-really-focused-i-just-took/) [K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/) > [In college we didn't pass block the way they do in the pros - they played the I-formation at Wisconsin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-webster/in-college-we-didn-t-pass-block-the-way-they-do-in-the-pros-they/) [Mike Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-webster/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [Doing away with separate black colleges meets resistance from alumni and other blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/doing-away-with-separate-black-colleges-meets-resistance-from-alumni/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [My son going to college is a big milestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gore/my-son-going-to-college-is-a-big-milestone/) [Frank Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gore/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/the-reason-i-got-into-acting-was-not-to-explore-myself-i-was-a-reader/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) [Browse all 7,391 College quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. 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