A short clip of Steve Jobs describing the computer as a bicycle for the mind. He compares human efficiency of travel to what computers do for mental work.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN uses it as the source of the 'bicycle for the mind' quote, which commenters cite in discussions of computing, programming and LLMs.
“Immediately made me think of Steve Jobs and this great clip”HN comment, 2023
“Just saw another brilliant Jobs quote, circa 1991”
Jobs on computers as the bicycle for our minds
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Just saw another brilliant Jobs quote, circa 1991, via my svlug friend Rick Moen. I think one of the things that really separate us from the higher primates is that we are tool builders. I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometre,and humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list. It wasn't too proud of a showing for the crown of creation. So, that didn't look so good -- but somebody at _Scientific American_ had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle, and a man on a bicycle -- a human on a bicycle -- blew the condor away, completely off the top of the charts. And that's what a computer is to me. A computer is the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds. -- Steve Jobs, 1991 this video
Strongly recommendsjoshstrangeDec 2025
“one of my favorite since it resonates so clearly with me”
Jobs quote the commenter loves
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> the Bay Area tradition that treated computers not as office appliances but as tools for thought, instruments of liberation Missed a great chance to use the "bicycle for our minds" Steve Jobs quote (one of my favorite since it resonates so clearly with me) this video
Recommendskqr2Oct 2010
“Interview with Steve Jobs where he talks about the computer as a bicycle for the mind”
Jobs explains computers as bicycles for the mind
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Interview with Steve Jobs where he talks about the computer as a bicycle for the mind: this video To put it in context, he starts off by talking about the efficiency of animal locomotion. In the animal kingdom, the condor is one of the most efficient. It uses the least amount of energy to travel a kilometer. Human walking is rather inefficient in comparison. However, with a bicycle, a man can blow away a condor.
Recommendstim333Feb 2015
“The Steve Jobs quote mentioned about bicycles for the mind is cool”
Cool Jobs bicycle for the mind quote
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The Steve Jobs quote mentioned about bicycles for the mind is cool this video . I know it's old but I hadn't seen it before. The rest of the article is kind of intellectual mush starting from saying "litigated against" in the first sentence when he hasn't and continuing in a similar vein.
RecommendsnntwozzMar 2023
“Immediately made me think of Steve Jobs and this great clip”
Great clip of Jobs's bicycle for the mind
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Immediately made me think of Steve Jobs and this great clip: "Computers are like a bicycle for our minds." this video
Cites itacakAug 2011
“The computer is to the human mind, what the bicycle is to our ability to travel.”
Bicycle analogy for computers and the mind
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The bicycle analogy to this video The computer is to the human mind, what the bicycle is to our ability to travel.
Cites itsampoMay 2016
Jobs quote on computers as mind bicycles
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> In 1968 Douglas Engelbart used the wonderfully space aged term "brain amplification" And Steve Jobs in 1990, "And that’s what a computer is to me ... it’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds." this video
Cites itaub3bhatMay 2016
“or to put as Steve Jobs did bicycles for the mind.”
Programming as bicycles for the mind
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I think I view programming as mental abstractions in action, or to put as Steve Jobs did bicycles for the mind. this video
Cites it0wisJul 2023
“that’s where the Steve Job’s quote « Computers are bicycles for the mind » comes from”
Source of the bicycles for the mind quote
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Remember that bicycle are the most efficient way to move a human, that’s where the Steve Job’s quote « Computers are bicycles for the mind » comes from [1]. This efficiency never stops to amaze me. And an electric bicycle makes it way more convenient while still being quite efficient. I share the love of electric bikes with the author and I am sure that huge progresses in UX and efficiency are it to come in the field. Would love to work on it one day ! (But hardware is hard…) I am happy to see the subject on HN frontpage. If anyone know any quirky projects on the subject, I would love to know more ! [1] : this video
Cites itmnky9800nFeb 2024
“Huang only argues the same as Steve Jobs, a computer is a bicycle for the mind”
Computer as bicycle for the mind supports argument
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This is a really ridiculous take that is created from sound bites. What he's says is not that coding will no longer exist, but that the purpose of computing is not coding but to solve interesting problems. We will only find interesting problems by having deep domain knowledge. Huang only argues the same as Steve Jobs, a computer is a bicycle for the mind: this video
Cites itscrlkApr 2025
“I feel like LLMs are just the next step on the Jobs analogy of "computers are bicycles for the mind”
LLMs as the next bicycles for the mind
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> The developers who thrive in this new environment won’t be those who fear or resist AI tools, but those who master them—who understand both their extraordinary potential and their very real limitations. They’ll recognise that the goal isn’t to remove humans from the equation but to enhance what humans can accomplish. I feel like LLMs are just the next step on the Jobs analogy of "computers are bicycles for the mind" [0]. And if these tools are powerful bicycles available to everyone, what happens competitively? It reminds me of a Substack post I read recently: > If everyone has AI, then competitively no one has AI, because that means you are what drives the differences. What happens if you and LeBron start juicing? Do you both get as strong? Can you inject your way to Steph’s jumpshot? What’s the differentiator? This answer is inescapable in any contested domain. The unconventionally gifted will always be ascendant, and any device that’s available to everyone manifests in pronounced power laws in their favor. The strong get stronger. The fast get faster. Disproportionately so. [1] [0] this video [1] link
