Watching video recordings of Shunryu Suzuki's teachings, one gains a broader understanding of how Steve Jobs implemented the ideals of Zen Buddhism into his product designs. Fundamentally it is difficult to compare physical technology to religion. But when product design plays such a large role in a company, and when aesthetics are an important part of the user experience, one can see how Suzuki's teachings of the Beginner's Mind influenced the user interface and physical design of Apple Products.
The idea of the Beginner's Mind, uncluttered and simple, can be seen in many aspects of Apple products. The idea that even a child can use these products has long been held by Jobs himself, who once suggested that the Macintosh computer would not come with a user's manual. Despite this false claim, Apple has done an impressive job of designing products that people can often use intuitively.
One area we do not see a reflection of Zen Buddhism, however, is in Jobs' personality. Although he had an impressive ability to control his diet, his personal and work affairs were anything but uncluttered and simple. Jobs seemed to make enemies far too often, even doing so to those he was closest too. Whether this flaw is a result of his adoption is hard to say, though the biography certainly makes that argument at times. The bottom line is, in my opinion, Zen Buddhism had a much greater influence on Apple as a whole, rather than Steve Jobs as an individual.
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