back to article Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is dead at 56

Steve Jobs, Apple's cofounder and former CEO, has died. He was 56 years old. His death was reported late Wednesday in a brief statement on Apple's website. Apple's homepage featured a black-and-white photo of Jobs with a closely trimmed beard bearing his name and the years 1955-2011. "Apple has lost a visionary and creative …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Bill Cumming
    Unhappy

    R.I.P.

    Rest in Peace...

    1. Allison Park
      Pint

      celebrate his life

      He will be missed. Hopefully Apple will find another visionary to continue their ability to change our lives for the better.

      1. James Micallef Silver badge
        Pint

        So long

        and thanks for all the <str> fish</str> fruit

    2. henrydddd
      Unhappy

      sad

      He was Apple. He will be missed

    3. stu 4
      Joke

      He found out, much like his computers, that his parts were not replaceable...

      RIP mr J.

    4. Kebabbert
      Unhappy

      @Steve Jobs

      I really hope you are happy where you are now, Steve. I think of you, and your family.

    5. Andrew Moore

      Ding dong the Steve is dead...

      While his death wasn't entirely unexpected, it was still a shock when I caught this on the news this morning.

      Where's the Steve with a halo icon when you need it?

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Black Helicopters

      So lets see then,

      if he comes back from the dead in 3 days then like the pundits predict...

  2. miknik

    RIP

    Love him or hate him, 56 is too young to die. Poor guy.

    1. Arctic fox

      RE "RIP" Indeed, far too young.

      When he did not make an appearance at the presentation of the iPhone4S a couple of days ago I got the feeling that something was wrong. Respects and condolences to his family.

      1. Thomas 4
        Unhappy

        Woah

        When I first heard about this, I thought it was some hoax. Kinda stunned at the moment. So long Stevie and thanks for all the Macs.

    2. Ian Yates

      R.I.P.

      Not a fan of Apple products/ethos, but massive respect for what Steve did with the company and what he helped do to the consumer tech market.

      56 is far too young, and he clearly was very passionate about what he did.

      1. Scorchio!!
        Thumb Up

        Re: R.I.P.

        "Not a fan of Apple products/ethos, but massive respect for what Steve did with the company and what he helped do to the consumer tech market.

        56 is far too young, and he clearly was very passionate about what he did."

        Love or hate him and/or share-and-enjoy Gates, they made something available to us that was formerly in the hands only of large corporations, governments and the like, something that has empowered and entertained us so very much that it is almost arterial. I actually liked the NextStep computer, and found myself wishing he'd stay on his own. That's an irony, because I was already deeply embedded in the IBM compatible culture. SPSS in DOS and, later, Windows was one of the reasons. I will one day own a Mac and, oddly enough, last month I nearly bought an iPhone. (I got better though.)

    3. Scorchio!!

      Re: RIP

      "Love him or hate him, 56 is too young to die. Poor guy."

      Especially when you consider he'd already been in remission once. No words seem adequate to describe to me how that must have seemed to him and his family.

    4. Syren Baran
      Joke

      @RIP

      Well, probably he just couldn't resist testing the new Apple devices.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRoGhu5I5Cg

  3. mraak

    RIP

    One of the greatest minds, businessmen of the era, albeit controversial at times.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge
      Devil

      Why the "albeit" ?

      In order to be "One of the greatest minds, businessmen of the era" you have to be "controversial at times". Non-controversial people can never attain the "greatest minds" status.

      It should be "One of the greatest minds, businessmen of the era, _BECAUSE_ he was controversial at times".

      1. William Strong
        Pirate

        :)

        I think you're confusing correlation and causation, here.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        There, fixed that for you

        "Often controversial, he was one of the greatest minds, businessmen of the era."

        You got it backwards. While great minds are often controversial, just being controversial does not always indicate a great mind. It has made a few people famous, but still not great.

        They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. -- Carl Sagan.

  4. Anomalous Cowturd

    Wasn't expecting that news quite so soon...

    Not sure how it's going to go from here...

    Tombstone icon has gone too.

  5. zen1
    Pirate

    God speed and good tail winds

    I know I've made a lot of cracks about Apple and its products over the years, but Mr. Jobs was a visionary. I would like to express my sincerest condoleces to his and the rest of the Apple family.

    I chose the Jolly Roger because for years it flew over Cupertino.

  6. AnoNymousGerbil
    Unhappy

    And so the era ends...

    Farewell and good journey Steve...

  7. Jeff 10
    Pint

    Godspeed, Mr Jobs

    Regardless of what you think, he revolutionized every industry he ever touched. Mercurial and temperamental yes, but a true genius nonetheless.

    There will be a tear in my beer tonight...

    1. Sir Cosmo Bonsor

      I'm not convinced

      In among all the sycophantic guff being poured out from all directions, I'm still trying to think of one positive innovation you could attribute to him.

      Seems to me his greatest achievement was was raising gullible people's expectations about how much money they need spend just to get a cheap, tatty bit of consumer electronics like their mates have.

      1. Rolf Howarth

        His achievement was having a keen eye for design and aesthetics and being a perfectionist, and having the charisma and arrogance to get his way, and usually (not always) being proven right. He knew what consumers want and he gave it to them.

        1. Sil_W

          Sycophantic Guff

          Sir Cosmo Bonsor:

          "In among all the sycophantic guff being poured out from all directions, I'm still trying to think of one positive innovation you could attribute to him."

          That's as may be. But sometimes something happens that makes the stark point that there is more to life than whether a particular shiny toy is the world-changing best-ever shiny toy, or an annoyingly disappointing shiny toy.

          What people are doing here is holding off on the usual superficial bitching for a moment or two, on account of the fact that a well-known man - quite a personality, by all accounts, whatever you thought of him - has died unreasonably young. This is what people do when they're not sociopathic. Don't get me wrong: I don't generally agree with the current fad for massive outpourings of flamboyant, public grief. Most of us never knew the man, so it's weird, frankly, to act as though we've lost a brother, as some are - but it's human to empathise when someone dies, and to express sympathy, even if the person who's died is someone you didn't like very much.

          And to dave 93: I hope that your passing, when it comes - and may that be a very great many years hence - is quick, dignified and without any suffering at all. Even though it seems I disagree with at least one opinion you hold.

      2. Scorchio!!
        Meh

        Re: I'm not convinced

        "In among all the sycophantic guff being poured out from all directions, I'm still trying to think of one positive innovation you could attribute to him.

        Sycophancy? Not possible, SJ would necessarily have to be alive:

        http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sycophantic?q=sycophant

        As to innovation, there is nothing new. All 'new' things are merely the product of crossblending different rule sets. That's why people can frequently point to camouflage or communications techniques in 'nature' (other species) and say it happened before we did it. Overall, it began with binary fission.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        Re: I'm not convinced

        Neither am I. Just goes to show you that the "faithful" are nothing but a bunch of Lemmings. Jobs tells/told them to buy...and they buy...regardless of need.

        And yes...I do own Apple products, and have for many years (have 2 iMacs & 1 Macbook Pro in my home lab for bench testing purposes, and an iPod in my car), but do not think them superior to ANY computer...simply different. Somethings they do "better" than non-Apple machines...and somethings they do not.

      4. Big-nosed Pengie

        I'd say his greatest achievement was having the world's media and politicians read verbatim the horseshit that Apple's Advertising Department wrote about him on his death.

        1. Ted Treen
          Thumb Down

          Big-nosed?

          Possibly.

          But small-minded.

          Very small minded,

      5. Meph
        Mushroom

        Before the iPhone..

        He achieved a cheap, affordable and innovative smartphone that was comparatively light and much more user friendly than others available at the time.

        At the time, no mobile phone operators in Australia offered smartphones on a $0 up front plan, and I didn't exactly make enough money to afford paying $800 up front for them.

        The release of the iPhone did two things:

        1. provided a smartphone for the masses that anyone (and i do mean anyone) could pick up and use without much prompting.

        2. forced other companies to follow suit, leading to the genesis of the Android platform and its varied host hardware platforms.

        I emplore the reader of this to stop for one second, discard all your preconceptions, prejudices and hubris and think what computing was like a mere 25 years ago. Once you have that image firmly in your mind, pull your smartphone out of your pocket and have a good hard look at it.

        Like it or not, Steve Jobs influenced its creation in one form or another, so show some god damned respect!

  8. alex 39
    Unhappy

    Great loss, great legacy.

    "Sent from my iPad"

  9. moylan
    Alien

    love him or hate him

    love him or hate him he changed the industry.

    1. Jeremy 2

      He sure did. I doubt there will ever be another Steve Jobs. So long...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Although I disagree with almost everything about the way that Apple does business, there is no denying that he was a true visionary and the tech world will be far less interesting without him. He's left an impressive legacy that won't be forgotten any time soon. RIP Steve.

    1. defiler

      But it'll be interesting to see how Apple gets on with out Steve Jobs as a crutch.

      From what I've heard I wouldn't have wanted to work directly with him, but the world needs people like him to drive things, even if they're driving in an odd direction. He'll leave a big hole in the industry that won't be easily filled.

      1. david 64
        Meh

        Yes as somone wiser than i once said, "Great men are not always great men".

        I'm no a Apple\Jobs fan - but the guy deserves respect for his achievements.

        RIP Jobsy.

  11. Ian Bremner
    Paris Hilton

    RIP

    let me say this.

    I hate Apple products.

    I hate the legions of drooling fanbois who camp for days to get their latest iCrap product.

    I hate Apples business practices of trying to stifle the opposition with patent lawsuits.

    Having said all that.

    RIP Steve, although I didn't care for your company or it's products, a lot of other people did and you brought that to them. 56 is a young age to go at and my condolences to your friends and famiy.

    Pairs, cos she's sad too.

    1. Shannon Jacobs
      Holmes

      Anti-freedom philosophy

      I agree with the personal sentiments, especially about his age. I sort of think you have a weird advantage if you can see the form of your death coming...

      However, philosophically, I think the Jobs put profits ahead of freedom. The Apple II started with the philosophy of empowering people, but once the box was closed for the early Mac, the philosophy changed to 'inside is none of your business'. Microsoft adopted the same philosophy with Windows 95, and once again, I disagree with the philosophy but I can't deny that the business model makes sense...

    2. amanfromearth

      Have some respect

      This is no time to use this terrible news as an excuse to have a go.

      Just leave it.

      1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

        Rest In Peace

        @amanfromearth : my sentiments exactly, it's uncouth to qualify condolences.

        Steve Jobs, thanks for proving that being different is still possible. 56 is too young to go :(.

        Rest in peace.

        1. PsychicMonkey
          WTF?

          I agree with Ian

          "my sentiments exactly, it's uncouth to qualify condolences." at no point did he qualify his condolences, I'm not sure how you even would.

          He stated he was a fan of Apple or the way it was run, but then offered condolences to Steve's family and friends. That to me speaks of giving more respect, I'm sure there will be some very mean comments coming from some quaters of this world.

          I have to agree, I'm not a fan of Apple, or the blind following it seems to bring out in some people (some of my friends included). But that does not mean I can't sympathise with Steve Jobs family at this very tough time for them, knowing someone is goign to die in no way makes it any easier when they do.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @ Ian Bremner

      My sentiments exactly. I am as rabidly anti-fanboi as they come, but I would never wish ill-health on anyone.

      No-matter what you may think about Steve there is no denying that the world is now a poorer after his passing.

      RIP

    4. Philip Lewis
      WTF?

      WTF

      Haters hate because they are hateful. No chance must be be left untaken.

      What a fucking dork!

      philip

      1. PsychicMonkey
        Stop

        nice

        sweeping statement there, are you somehow taking the moral highground by calling someone you don't know a fucking dork......

        Just because you say you hate something doesn't mean you are hateful.

        I hate cancer and many other nasty things, does that make me hateful?

        Anyway, have a nice day on your high horse. Just be careful you don't fall off....

        1. Ted Treen
          Thumb Down

          @PsychoMonkey

          "...Anyway, have a nice day on your high horse..."

          And you are where, exactly?

          1. PsychicMonkey
            Pint

            @Ted

            where am I? I guess you are not asking geographically, but rather trying to say I'm trying to be morally superior? Well I suppose I am, I was trying to make a point without resorting to childish name calling.....

            As I said above, I feel it is perfectly fine to dislike the way someone went about their business and still offer condolence at that persons untimely death.

            Oh, and nice joke on my handle there. Very funny.

            is that a tumbleweed I see....

  12. frankgobbo

    Wow

    is all I can say.

    Love him or loathe him (I sat in between, I have an iphone and had 2 macbook airs, but also have had probably 3 dozen PCs in my time and 20 nokia phones) you've gotta give the guy credit for literally shaping the world in his image in the past decade.

    I really do wonder what Apple will do over the coming years. I simply can't see them staying at this level without Jobs at the keel.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge
      Devil

      No he has not

      No other company has successfully changed from "committee corporate" culture to "Steve's way".

      Steve's way was "No committees, my way or the highway" where the word of the person _RESPONSIBLE_ for a particular item was final and mandatory down the command chain.

      In your average corporate you have the headless beast known as the committee "responsible" for every decision at every step. Other companies look at Apple, have a committee driven reorganisation to attempt to imitate it and perform a musical chairs committee rehash to result in another committee structure which is not any closer to Apple's.

      The only other big company with top-bottom "my way or the highway" culture out there is Oracle where it predates Steve's second reign at Apple.

      Apple did not shape the world in its image. It has shown the world a shape it can attain. The world however is nowhere near attaining it. Also, the bets are still off if Cook possesses the Cenghiz Khan syndrome necessary to continue to run Apple the same way. If he does not, Apple will descend back to where it was in the interregnum when the MBA committee's ruled the way it was run.

    2. dave 54

      I think he was at the helm, rather than the keel, as the latter is the structural element upon which the hull is built.

      Never liked Apple products, but that's a matter of personal taste and in no way detracts from a completely non-grudging admission that they're very good pieces of kit. Jobs changed the entire market, and will be greatly missed.

  13. Paul 129
    Pint

    Will be missed

    Now who will Ellison have to compare himself with?

    Love or hate the guy, you have to respect what he did. He with Apple changed the IT industry for the better.

    Here's one for you mate

    RIP

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sad day when the industry and world loses one of its most iconic visionaries. Like him or not, we all loose.

    RIP Steve Jobs.

  15. Luna Tick
    Unhappy

    RIP Mr. Jobs

    I was never your customer, but I have always been your admirer.

  16. Ted 3
    Unhappy

    So sad

    As an ex-Apple fan (the only product I have now is an iPhone 3GS), I have been viewing their direction with increasing dismay.

    However, this news saddens me greatly. Steve Jobs may have been more showman than hardcore technologist. But his legacy in the tech world in general is undeniable. He is one of those rare people with that "X-factor" which is unquantifiable.

    RIP. You are gone too soon.

  17. J 3

    While I'm no fan of Apple's most of the time, there is no denying the guy was exceedingly good at what he did. Crazily influential. All the best to his family in these tough times.

  18. DZ-Jay

    Godspeed, Mr. Jobs

    The world will never be the same again.

    dZ.

    1. Goat Jam
      Unhappy

      Only This Morning

      I was reading an article on Tim Cook and it caused me to wonder about how much longer SJ would be around.

      I hoped it would be quite some time so It saddens me to find out only minutes later that he had passed away.

      R.I.P. Steve, I doubt I will see a visionary and businessman of your caliber within what remains of my own lifetime.

      <- Divine being icon for obvious reasons

  19. Stephen Mullan 1
    Unhappy

    RIP

    Although not an Apple fan, i must say i'm a fan of good business people, and he was one of if not the best leader, the world has lost a great leader.

  20. jake Silver badge
    Pint

    Another great gone.

    Rest in peace, Steve. You will be missed by the people who actually knew you as a human being.

    (Closest I could get to an iced tea icon.)

    1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
      Pint

      He will be missed most by those near to him of course, but many others will miss his undoubted leadership. Though I am not an Apple user, many Apple designs set new standards, and gave others a point to aim at.

      I will join you in raising a glass to his memory and achievements.

  21. Andy 115

    RIP

    He will be remembered.

    When he stepped down in august I kind of hoped he had a long time ahead of him. Unfortunately, it seems he probably knew then that the end was very close.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Windows

    A sad day...

    I'm not into Apple at all (more a *nix/WIndows guy) but this is still a sad development. One can just hope that he had some good fun in the last months of his live and wasn't the type of guy who is fully occupied by work and ends up "empty handed" when you quit that job.

    A very sad day indeed.

    Windows user; not out disrespect but because that is my preferred OS of choice.

  23. Player_16

    Left on a high.

    Indeed; he left on a high. His last mark is his bio that will soon be out. I hope what he instilled in the company continues no matter how 'closed' it seems to everyone else. It keeps the world wondering.

  24. Lghost
    Unhappy

    a huge loss

    IT , telecommunication and animation, his influence was huge.

  25. slime
    Unhappy

    RIP Steve Jobs - I may not always have agreed with you but you were one of the driving forces behind our world as it is today.

  26. KJB

    My condolences go to his family and friends, as others have said, 56 is too young.

    It does make me wonder if perhaps this was the reason the iPhone 5 wasn't launched yesterday though; surely it'd be a PR nightmare to associate the new product with an event such as this?

  27. Earl Jones Of Potatoes
    Childcatcher

    Hat off to your Mr. Jobs

    a Repost of my early comment about Mr. Jobs.

    Very few CEOs have your vision and caliber Mr. Jobs.

    Thanks for your historic contribution to the Tech world.

    You've earned a prestigious page in modern history and your influence will be greatly missed.

    Respect to you

    RIP

  28. M. B.

    Terrible way to go

    He changed the way we all interact with information forever. Terrible way to go. RIP Steve.

  29. Gordon 8
    Coat

    RIP

    Not a fanboi, never purchased any Apple devices for myself.

    Much respect for the way Steve Jobs changed the bland dirty white or black computers in to objects of art.

    Original iMac - Genius, something even Apple has not really surpassed.

    Don't like the business ethics, but have to respect the Jobs effect.

    RIP

    My coat's the one with no Apple devices....

  30. Peter Kay

    Pity..

    I'm not a huge Apple fan despite the old Powermac under my desk. I don't like the way they do business, doubt they really have consumers' best interests at heart and am heartily sick of Windows bashing when Apple uses a predefined hardware configuration and doesn't have the necessity to maintain backwards compatibility.

    Still, 56 is far too young to die, neither the operating system or mobile phone market would be in the state they currently are now without competition (from all sides, including Apple) and Steve Jobs had admirable marketing and business skills. For that he deserves to be remembered.

    1. alwarming

      >am heartily sick of Windows bashing when Apple uses a predefined hardware configuration

      >and doesn't have the necessity to maintain backwards compatibility.

      That's a strategy windows chose - to go after the mass market. The probably figured that they

      can make more money that way and thereby afford more engineers to support a variety of configurations - first part of which is correct as well. And they have a lot of engineers as well.

      If they are not able to do that, it's their fault. Their strategy to throw people at problems of software engineering failed. Its not Apple's fault that their greedy rival (in PC biz) can not deliver a high quality product due to their (poor?) strategic decisions. M$ owned (still does?) the personal computing platform for 2 decades. They could have done anything with it had they fired the tunnel visioned middle management and hired some fresh blood. They didn't. Their FAIL.

      1. Craigness
        FAIL

        @alwarming

        If you'd used a windows pc in the last decade you'd know windows has been a high quality product all that time. But that wasn't enough to end the meme in the apple cult that windows crashes all the time. I've used all sorts of hardware and software, plugged in many cheap devices, and found that it just works.

        I was using apps on a touch screen smartphone for years before the iphone. What I see now is eulogies from people who couldn't see the future I saw except with Apple's guidance. It's weird to me to see all that stuff about how Jobs changed the world, or even people's lives.

        1. Kevin 6

          @Craigness

          agree

          I've had a windows 2000 server PC's run literally 450 days non stop on the internet (as a web, FTP, and e-mail server) without a reboot or shutdown. Actually the only reason it did go down was we lost power for 2 days... Came right back up, and stayed on another 200 days till a drive failed. Al the while it was being hammered non-stop by people trying to brute force the FTP server. I've had the same experience with XP, and 7... (Will admit 95, and 98 had a nasty memory leak that took a few weeks of being left running non-stop to rear its ugly head...)

          Only time I have EVER had stability issues was when a hardware company screwed up a driver(was a $5 fire wire card), running a poorly written program, or the computer had more viruses on it than a $10 crackhead hooker has STDs. I do not attribute any of those blue screens to Microsoft though. I'll be honest I think they do a damn good job at keeping as much backwards compatibility as they do

        2. Keith Crooks
          WTF?

          You're joking right?

          "If you'd used a windows pc in the last decade you'd know windows has been a high quality product all that time."

          Seriously? After using Windows since 3.1, it was the dog that is Vista that finally pushed me over to the 'dark side'.

          Now lets get back on topic! RIP Steve. You will be missed!

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose." — Steve Jobs, 2005

    RIP

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Goodbye Mr. Jobs

    I sold my iPhone, given to me as a birthday gift, in order to be free of the walled proprietary gardens created by corporations such as Apple. Yet every other day I use the Apple sponsored CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) to print from my free operating system. It's a funny old world. Goodbye Mr. Jobs, and all the best.

  33. Chris Haynes
    Angel

    Rest in peace, Steve Jobs

    An amazing man who made technology accessible and fun. His vision will, hopefully, live on at Apple for a long time to come.

  34. Eddy Ito
    Pint

    Adieu Steve

    I can't say how many people I've known over the years that were inspired to do so many different things by, predominantly, Mr. Jobs and Apple. Thanks for the dreams and the spirit to push on. I'm glad he enjoyed it so much.

    Cheers

  35. WilfredS
    Unhappy

    What would the world look like without the gadgets that came out of Apple under his guidance..

    RIP

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      not too sure what the products from apple would look like without St. Jobs influence, but I am sure they would have cost less!!!

      1. Zot

        They would probably look similar as...

        ...English designer Jonathan Ive create them.

  36. Darryl

    Love or hate his products/company, you have to admit that he did a lot to revolutionize technology and the way that average people interact with it.

    Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs

  37. Meph
    Pirate

    I need a holiday, a long one..

    One of the original godfathers of modern computing has moved on. Whatever else he was, his fingerprints will forever be imprinted on the future of IT.

    God speed **Salute**

  38. Mike Moyle

    Sad news...

    Whether they loved or hated the man, I think that anyone must admit that the world would have been a vastly less-interesting place without him.

    My condolences to his friends and family.

    (We couldn't get the "Halo Steve Jobs" icon back this one time...? Pity.)

  39. KCM

    One more thing...

    ... RIP Steve.

  40. Youngdog
    Unhappy

    RIP Steve

    "Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life...have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

    The world is a poorer place without him

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I am conflicted... pancreatic cancer is a horrible way to die, and his passing at such a young age is surely a loss for his family and friends. But I am almost equally saddened to see a man with such a complicated past, and a reputation as a ruthless competitor, compared in all seriousness to Jesus Christ. A great man is not always a good man.

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Too young to leave the stage

    Very sad news. Whatever people think of Apple as it is now, its products or its ethos, it's hard to argue there are many people who will have such a profound impact on the technology we use and the way we perceive it as Steve Jobs did. I think his long term legacy will be the now entrenched understanding that good design and usability are not at odds with packing in plenty of functionality - not a bad mark to leave on the world.

    RIP and thanks.

  43. This post has been deleted by its author

  44. Brian 6
  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I do not own an apple product, and never will -

    however, my condolences go out to Mr. Jobs' family and friends.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ....

    Thats sad. Poor dude.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Like Monty Python once sang....

    For life is quite absurd

    And death's the final word

    You must always face the curtain with a bow.

    Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin

    Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

    So always look on the bright side of death

    Just before you draw your terminal breath

    Life's a piece of shit

    When you look at it

    Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.

    You'll see it's all a show

    Keep 'em laughing as you go

    Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

    And remember my IT friends: Tomorrow check the Apple stocks. Let's see if the predictions are true.

  48. Steve Evans

    RIP

    Never bought one of your products, and from what I hear you were a complete sod to work for, but I appreciate the rocket you put up the backside of your various competitors.

    RIP and condolences to your family and friends.

  49. Peter Griffin
    Pint

    resquiat in pace Steve

    I'll be having a beer tonight in your honour.

  50. This post has been deleted by its author

  51. jonoMT

    Nicely written. I was, for many years, a Mac fanatic. Although in the last decade I went in other directions and have only acquired an iPod nano and a Touch, my own work and design ethos has been formed from my experiences with Apple products. May every Mac ever made issue a chime for Steve Jobs.

  52. Asgard
    Unhappy

    The end of an era. :(

    That is very sad news and whilst I'm not a fan of the present day Apple business practices I am very sorry to hear he has died. I am old enough to remember the first Apple computers and I can't help remembering back to those early days now. He has been there in the news, throughout my whole time in (and memory of) the computer industry. Right back to the early home computer pioneering days back in the early 1980's when I was just a kid, preparing to get into the industry. Steve Jobs influence on the Industry has always been there. So its hard to believe he is no longer here, that he has died. It feels like the end of an era and what an era it has been and I can't help wondering what more could he have done in the years to come, if only he had not been so ill and had lived. 56 was way too young to die. :(

    I feel very sorry for his family and it is very sad for his kids that they have lost their father so young in their lives.

    A very sad day. :(

    RIP

  53. Harvey Trowell
    Angel

    Godspeed You Black Turtlenecked Emperor

    May you rest in peace.

  54. Danny 4

    Sad loss to the universe

    The universe just became a poorer place. 56 is way too young. He changed the way we think and use computers. His vision will still be with us for generations to come.

  55. Daniel B.
    Unhappy

    iDied

    As a former Mac user (circa 1985-1998) and currently critical of the "walled garden" approach of the iUniverse, I still feel sad by the untimely death of Steve Jobs.

    The man was able to pull Apple out of near bankruptcy, turned it into a very profitable company.

    RIP Steve Jobs.

  56. George 24

    A great mind is lost

    The world is poorer for the loss of Steve. His legacy will go on. Condolences to his family.

  57. RAMChYLD
    Angel

    RIP

    A true visionary who brought GUI to the masses.

    RIP Steve Jobs.

  58. mafoo
    Unhappy

    Too Soon

    :'(

    :'(

    :'(

    RIP

  59. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them..."

    Requiescat in pace.

  60. Russ Tarbox

    Genuinely sad.

    A truly remarkable man. Rest in peace.

  61. SharkNose

    Not that big of a deal...

    Nah, seriously, the industry needs more single minded visionaries like him, has left big shoes for Tim Cook to fill...RIP

  62. zanto
    Unhappy

    RIP

    death is so final. peace to him and his family.

    for the rest of us, a poignant reminder that everything we've got going is just temporary. so live well and make the most of it.

  63. Pete 8
    Thumb Up

    Respect

    You changed the world.

  64. Garibaldi
    Linux

    Gonna Miss Him

    I never truly agree with him on lot of things, nontheless, this is a shocker. He will be missed.

    Rest in peace.

  65. Spiff66

    Thanks for everything

    Thanks for all the cool products and all those "one more things".

    Oh and why do people need to say "I never bought your products", what difference does that make? Finally good to see the retards are here too. Wouldn't be a reg forum if there weren't some dickheads posting the kind of crap above.

  66. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    A Person has died

    A person has died and a family has lost a member. Some of the comments on here are out of order. Regardless of what you thought of the man.

  67. stolennomenclature

    Inventive Genius?

    It is indisputable that Jobs was good at running Apple and making lots of money, but I do object to him being labelled a creative Genius, with at least one observer likening him to a modern Edison. Just what is it that Steve invented? It was Steve Wozniak that designed the Apple II, but there were microcomputers around before that. The iPod was not the first mp3 player by any stretch of the imagination. Nor was the iPad the first tablet. The MACos uses the Mach micro kernel which jobs had nothing to do with, and the BSD Unix kernel - again no Jobs involvement with that. Software for the Mac is written in Objective-C - not a Jobs invention either. The windows and mice GUI paradigm that entered the market with the first MAC was not invented by Jobs either - that was done at Xerox PARC.

    That he was really good or perhaps even brilliant at seeing a business opportunity and heading up a large corporation, does not make him an inventive Genius in the mold of an Edison or the many other real inventive geniuses that built the technology which Jobs used to make apple products.

    Its sad to see anyone die of course, and its always nice to find some good words to say about someone, but inventive genius? Not the correct accolade for this person.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Inventive Genius?

      Steve Jobs' talent was in putting together the whole package, not necessarily developing the individual pieces. When other large companies put a product together, they frequently stop short of defining the whole experience, leaving irritating holes in the functionality or making the way things work blatantly inconsistent. Although Apple products also suffer from similar misfeatures - something not typically acknowledged by those wanting to assert the notion of Apple's superiority in "design" - it is clear that the company's engineers spend a bit more effort than others would, maybe at the insistence of a corporate culture laid down by Jobs himself.

      It is, of course, sad to hear of the loss of the life of another human being, and I hope that everyone is able to continue the man's legacy by acknowledging and being inspired by those contributions they feel Steve Jobs made during his life to the benefit of human society.

      (And with regard to Edison, I don't think that it helps to put the man on a pedestal. It is widely known and documented that the man had his talents, and can also be regarded to have had broad ambitions, but he also had many failings and a questionable ethical record.)

    2. Rob Dobs
      Pint

      same sentiments exactly

      First off my true condolences to Steve's Wife and his children. It is a terrible thing to watch a loved one grow sick before they leave you for good, and I hope they can find some healing in the outpouring of love that comes from the Press and the Apple community. As a long time dis-liker of Apple and his business practices, I can say without any bias or motive, that he was a right decent Human being, and was a great productive member of our society. For anyone to put him down personally, or bring up stupid windows/apple arguments in this forum is without taste, and shows a remarkably low quality of character.

      The one fly in the ointment for me is the demagoguery and idolatry that the press seems determined to practice for a story. On the radio this morning I heard Steve get credit for making the first personal computer, founding Pixar, and introducing the world to the mouse and GUI with his McIntosh, then returning to apple to create the Imac, Ipod and other wonders. Wozniak, the engineers that really made the mouse and GUI out at Xerox's Palo-Alto research center, the geniuses who really sold the first home PC kits that brought computers to the home (even if you did have to bit a soldering yourself: Atari, Amiga and dozens of nameless) and all the intelligent people who engineered and designed products for Apple over the years have their due credit taken from them when this type of idolatry is practiced, they are the ones damaged, and my heart goes out to them as well. Giving him credit for making Pixar, when he only invested money in it, takes away the glory from the nameless group of founders and animators that made it a reality. It is perhaps fitting to compare him to Edison though, like Edison, Steve had the smarts to higher brilliant people to work for him, and Edison hardly invented anything, the labs that he ran and funded however did, so he does deserve that credit at least.

      Steve was a great businessman, a visionary business leader, extremely wealthy, and as mentioned above, a decent human being a productive contributor to our society in many significant measurable ways. Let him stand on his own merits, and appreciate him for who he was and his real accomplishments.

      Requiesce in pace Steve.

      Love or Hate Apple, toast to Steve and his Family tonight

  68. MrT

    Time for the NeXT big step...

    To Infinity and beyond!

    Steve

    Sent from my iCloud

  69. Greencat
    Thumb Up

    RIP Steve

    I think the best way to describe his role was as a conductor - he knew how to get the right team around him and motivate them to deliver his vision. And it was a multifaceted vision - produce easy to use good looking stuff, make a ton of money and keep complete control. Sure the technology wasn't always innovative as he claimed and the approach to business was sometimes a tad unethical but somehow the package was often much more than the sum of the parts.

    Whatever you think of the resulting products (I loved some of them, hated others) - I think the world is poorer for no longer having Steve in it.

    I've used many computers in the last 20 years (Unix, Windows, SGI, Amiga, Mac) - but playing around with using MacDraw for DTP in 93 was when it clicked just how revolutionary computers could be as a creative tool. Before then my only experience had been DOS and WordPerfect - and so a tip of the hat to you, Steve, for providing the initial inspiration.

  70. Stuart Elliott
    Unhappy

    Honorary Black Polo Neck Shirt Day

    Rest in peace, my father died 2 years ago of pancreatic cancer, and he was in a lot of pain towards the end, so I can only presume the same of Mr Jobs, so it is probably for the best that it didn't drag on.

    1. Stuart Elliott
      Unhappy

      Turtleneck even

      *sigh*.

      1. Efros

        Polo neck is British, turtleneck is USAian. Same thing, don't own one myself as they tend to interfere with my beard.

        Respects to Jobs and his grieving family, in all the fluff that will be puffed over the next few days we need to remember that, he and his contemporaries have indeed shaped our current technology, not because of any altruism but because they wanted to make money. No problem with that but don't make him out to be some great humanitarian, he was a motivated, clever, business man with a very large ego and a flair for success.

  71. LarsG

    too soon

    Might not have agreed with everything he stood for but he was worthy of admiration.

  72. De Zeurkous
    Devil

    blaat

    Steve Jobs was *not* a genius. He was a creative manipulator, who excelled in making others work for him.

    Or did you guys at El Reg really think he thought up even one of his 'brilliant' ideas himself?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Get off your soapbox, you massive bell end.

      1. De Zeurkous
        Flame

        RE:

        Sorry -- I didn't see the markings saying 'for Apple fanboys only'. I'll leave Rik to deliver some more uncritical praise to those that do not deserve it.

        /me steps off

    2. De Zeurkous
      Flame

      FU: blaat

      Me intended to use the flame icon. Feh.

    3. fellcolor

      You see the method and miss the point

      Steve's talent was to reliably choose which way the wind was about to blow and put himself in front of it. And then to have a staff with enough talent and creativity to make the most of these re-orientations. These turn out to be two very hard problems.

  73. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only saints seem to die

    It used to appear that only saints and other totally good people ever died, because there were strong prohibitions against people who even dared to mention a tiny flaw in their comments about a recently dead person. I am glad that this tradition has been challenged a little recently so that a more rational and objective view of someone can be arrived at to avoid the rather over-the-top appearences of grief accompanying the death of someone who one didn't know and didn't even meet, except indirectly, when handing over money for a gadget marketed by a company headed up by the person who has died. By all accounts, Jobs was a businessman who knew what to market, how to market it, and how to retain control of it by aggressive (some might say combative) actions against other firms perceived to have infringed on "his company's" area of control. He engendered a fierce brand loyalty in certain people, so that those who want to put a more balanced view forward now may have to fight to get ourselves heard over the adulatory comments made in his favour. He was a man, an imperfect man, as we all are. He was not a creative genius on the same level as Edison (as another site would have us believe).

    It is sad that he has died. It is particularly sad for his friends and family, but for most of the rest of us, if we can avoid being carried along by the hype, it is just another event that happens every day to some family in the world, and they all deserve our sympathy and compassion. However, we should not do his memory an injustice by making him our to be some kind of hero or genius, or saint when we express our sadness at this event.

    1. ThomH

      I don't think that's quite the issue

      The comments have mostly been quite balanced — see the large number of people saying essentially "great man, but his flaws stopped me from buying the company's products". Those struggling to be heard are the predictable pack of dogmatic knee-jerk critics, jumping on the death of a human being as another opportunity to pull out their soapbox and preach.

      Adulatory comments aren't hard to come by but at least here they're by no means in the majority.

  74. Martin Budden Silver badge
    Unhappy

    I love my Android

    ...and so I'm sorry to hear that the great man who invented it has passed away.

    You know what I mean. It wouldn't exist without the other one.

  75. Redbaron

    death, not that big of a deal. Sent from my iPhone.

    RIP Steve, you mercurial visionary.

  76. The MaJiK Man
    Pirate

    Steve Jobs

    Thanks, goodbye and rest in peace.

  77. Gary McCabe

    user@user-macbook-0001:~$exit

    There are stopped jobs.

    user@user-macbook-0001:~$jobs

    user@user-macbook-0001:~$ [2011] - Stopped steven_p

    user@user-macbook-0001:~$<ctrl-z>

  78. David Paul Morgan
    Unhappy

    a sad day for the tech world.

    An inspiration to us all & a true leader of his company.

    R.I.P.

  79. Andy 97
    Unhappy

    Such a shame.

    Thanks to Steve we have user experience as the most important part of the development process.

    Many of us will always be eternally grateful even mac haters.

    Thanks Steve.

  80. John Ruddy
    Unhappy

    I am surprised to hear that he was married and had children - I guess I always pictured him as a loner, fighting against the world of Microsoft.

    My condolences go to his family, 56 is not an age to die, especially not in this day and age.

  81. Jellyjazz
    Unhappy

    RIP

    Apart from the obvious innovations and trend setters, he left an invaluable quote...

    "Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

    He'll be sadly missed indeed.

  82. richard 7
    Pint

    Kudos where due

    Steve Jobs, like him or loathe him changed to world and not many people are able to do that. Those of us who'd rather not use Apple kit understand that what he did forced others to innovate to keep up. Id vouch companies outside Apple owe him a lot more than they realise because of this, HTC for one.

    Its not a nice way to go and it is too young so lets not argue over right or wrong and just silently raise a glass at the pub today for someone who really did think different.

  83. Richard Scratcher
    Gimp

    R.I.P.

    Messenger: Steve Jobs is dead.

    Octavius: [Quietly, stunned] Is that how one says it? As simply as that? Steve Jobs is dead. Steven Paul Jobs is dead! The soup is hot, the soup is cold, Steve Jobs is living, Steve Jobs is dead.

    [He suddenly turns and begins to shout.]

    Shake with terror when such words pass your lips, for fear they be untrue! And Steve cut out your tongue for the lie, if not true! For your lifetime boast that you were honoured to speak his name even in death! The dying of such a man must be shouted, screamed...it must echo back from the corners of the universe. Steve Jobs is dead! Steve Jobs of Apple lives no more!

  84. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Very sad day.

    I am a late convert to all things Apple and I'm glad I've made the move.

    Steve had the ability to make even the most mundane tech seen new and exciting. To my mind he always put the "average" not "techy" user first and tried to make Apple products usuable by as many people as possible to the extent that my 2 year old can use an iPod! He gave people not so much what they wanted but made them want what they didn't even know they needed and had them enjoy whatever product they bought.

    56 is way to young to die with a good 30 years ahead of him.

    RIP Steve.

  85. skevmeister
    Unhappy

    Where are the great figures now

    I have to say I have never been a fan of Steve, but it does leave the world that little bit poorer.

    Love him or loathe him, the man saved Apple with the understanding what people want is a tool. And as we lose the really great innovators from the market place. Who do we really have that are the big polarising characters in our industry.

    Steve, RIP in peace. You will be missed, for without polarising characters like yourself, I fear antipathy will set in.

    Go with God, and my thoughts go with your family as any loss is one loss to many.

  86. Robert Flatters
    Thumb Up

    We either hated him or loved him, but he brought change

    He brought to both the computer world and to the mobile world a new way of using technoligy and challenging the oppersition to do better than apple. I, for one, might have disagreed with some of the things that Steve Jobs said, but at the end of the day he was visionary, a mavarick, but he saw markets that no other had thought of.

    Today the world has lost a giant in the it industry, who next will fill that viod and step on the shoulders of steve jobs.

    Rest in peace Steve.

  87. Gadget Rage is BAD
    Pint

    Goodbye Steve..

    You changed to world. Which is something not many of those who seem to feel the need to use this as a chance to remind us yet again that they don't like Apple. Heres some other breaking news for you. Nobody cares.

    RIP Steve you were one of a kind and I doubt we'll see the likes of you and Mr Gates anytime soon. I raise a glass to you. Cheers.

  88. Dave Walker 1
    Unhappy

    It's been said before, but a good thing is worth saying twice

    One more thing...

    Rest in peace, Steve

    Condolences to family and friends. We lost a visionary.

    (P.S. El Reg - can we have the St. Jobs icon back in memoriam?)

  89. Gerrit Hoekstra
    Coat

    There's a Eulogy App for that!

    Mine's the one with the (by now) cuts slashed in the back by some emotional turtleneck wearing fanboi.

  90. ColonelClaw

    RIP

    A genuinely sad day for the information age

  91. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Unhappy

    Sad day

    like many posters here, I am not a latter-day Apple fan. However, I learned to program on an Apple II at school (in 1980 !!!), and have fond memories of the ground-breaking machine. And it's astonishing to think that when I started (age 14) Steve was only 25.

    RIP

  92. Wang N Staines
    Unhappy

    Great man

    R.I.P

  93. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Superb marketing ploy, and dedication

    Everyone is going to want to show their grief so instead of wearing a black tie, black armband, they can all now buy black iPhone 4GS's.

    Solves the problem of needing to supply them in white which I understand has been troublesome. Never let it be said he didn't give his all for the company.

  94. Stuart 22

    In other news ...

    Bert Jansch also died yesterday.

    A true creative genius who changed music even more than the iPod. A brief mention in a news summary not the lead item. This is about power, not about changing our lives for the better.

    I do not wish to appear uncharitable. Jobs was probably a better family man than Jansch and it is the family's loss we should mourn. And I feel dirty posting this. But when it comes to marking the passing of anyone we should not lose perspective.

    A very great business leader. What marks him out from his contempories (Ellison, Gates etc) is not that he built a global business, but he re-built a global business. Great men can usually only do it once. Steve did it twice. Just go easy on the creative god-like stuff.

  95. Duffaboy
    Unhappy

    Thankyou Steve RIP

    The last thing I did before going to sleep last night was to switch off my IPOD Touch, Steve gave us some incredible products, which have changed the way we enjoy our lives. A Perfectionist and truely brilliant man. Rest in peace...

  96. M7S
    Coat

    Apple launched a product in time to meed demand

    he's up there looking down on us,

    sitting on his iCloud.

  97. Danny 5
    Unhappy

    sadness

    i didn't really see this coming, i knew the man was sick, but i thought he was going to recover.

    I think i've been one of the more vocal Apple haters on here, but that's no reason not to honor a man who's been so important for this company and has helped move mobile computing forward.

    RIP Steve

  98. Piro Silver badge

    No Apple fan

    But any idiot can see some of their hardware and software designs were clean and groundbreaking.

    I knew it would be soon, but this soon? Damn.

  99. joshimitsu

    It's not easy trying to survive cancer

    respect to him for fighting on and staying on at work - I would have retired on the first medical leave.

    Anyone seen the film "Pirates of Silicon Valley"? It was a funny look at the early days of Microsoft and Apple.

  100. David Barr

    Sickipedia says...

    Steve Jobs isn't really dead, the nurses are just holding him the wrong way.

  101. Tony Batt
    Angel

    RIP Mr Steve

    Loved your products, loved your email replies even more.

    "please leave us alone" was my favourite.

  102. Mark C 2
    Unhappy

    RIP Steve

    Donate to Cancer Research, there's many more less well-known people suffering.

  103. Real Name
    Unhappy

    RIP, Steve Jobs.

    Can't say anything that no one else has.

    He will be missed.

  104. Wayland Sothcott 1
    Unhappy

    An amazing visonary

    He could see the possibilities of the technology as could many people but he went further and put them into practice with amazing flair. So many of us simply imagine the possibilities or do a half hearted job.

  105. Gobhicks

    US Patent 8,032,843, issued October 4, 2011

    US Patent 8,032,843, issued October 4, 2011

    Inventors: Ording; Bas (Sunnyvale, CA), Jobs; Steven P. (Palo Alto, CA), Lindsay; Donald J. (Mountain View, CA)

    Assignee: Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA)

    Claim 1

    A method for displaying graphical representations of launchable applications on a display of a device comprising: displaying on the display a visible mechanism for launching one or more launchable applications, wherein the visible mechanism comprises multiple user-activatable graphical representations that respectively correspond to multiple launchable applications; detecting a position of a user input proximate to at least one of the graphical representations; in response to the detecting, increasing in size the at least one of the graphical representations; and increasing one or more of the remaining graphical representations to one or more respective sizes, each size being at least approximately inversely related to a distance between the respective one of the remaining graphical representations and the detected position.

    No comment

    It won't be his last. Steve is named as an inventor in numerous patent applicaitons still pending.

  106. Wommit
    Pint

    Never bought into the i* thing. Was impressed by the Apple Lisa, after than, no.

    Mr. Jobs, the man... A great loss to his family, my condolences to them.

    A loss to the business world? well, that depends on your views of his business ethics. As others have said, like him or loath him, he had a tremendous impact on the way we now live our lives.

  107. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    RIP Mr Jobs

    Under his steerage, Apple produced the iMac that proved to all us frustrated Windows users that a computer could look good, work well and be easy and logical to use - simultaneously; they introduced the iPod that changed the way we carry our music around; they created the revolutionary and beautiful iPhone UI, and, at a stroke, changed the way we interact with mobile phones, leaving every other manufacturer's products looking staid, dusty and old. Finally the iPad, which is still so far ahead of its rivals in terms of form and function combined, that it's hard to say where it will go and what it will do.

    A talented man, who seemed to know how to nurture other talent, to bring out the best in his team and company.

    May he rest in peace.

  108. Craig Mulvaney
    Unhappy

    Sad

    This saddens me

  109. Frank Bough
    Facepalm

    RIP

    THE Steve

  110. TRT Silver badge

    @implementation apple

    - (id)init {

    self = [super init];

    [self changeConsumerElectronics:faceOf];

    return self;

    }

    -(void)dealloc {

    [super dealloc];

    }

    @end

  111. ph0b0s

    Anyone one who cares about technology is a Jobs fanboi for today....

    As much of a problem I have had with Apple, I am a Jobs fanboi for today....

    Thanks Steve for helping give us Pixar and other things

    RIP Steve, taken too soon.....

  112. pdb

    Very Sad

    He was an extraordinary person, who are all a little poorer for his passing.

    RIP Steve

  113. Minophis
    Unhappy

    I am no fan of Apple products or their buisiness practices but their is no denying Steve Job's vision, passion or impact on the industry. 56 is no age to die.

    RIP.

  114. Andus McCoatover
    Unhappy

    Gobsmacked. Took me awhile to take this in. Almost same age as me.

    The man changed so much that we know.

    I can only hope his passing was peaceful, and without pain.

    The "Pirates of Silicon Valley" just lost a good shipmate.

  115. Andus McCoatover
    Joke

    Sorry, but I think he'd have had a chuckle at this. Respect, of course for a Great Man.

    http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/293346_10150336820432661_577237660_7919737_1033504166_n.jpg

  116. philbo
    Unhappy

    Brilliant in some ways...

    ..fatally stupid in others: Steve Jobs would probably be alive today if he hadn't decided that a naturopath and "alternative" medicine (that is to say, an alternative to medicine that actually has some evidence behind it) was a better way to fight pancreatic cancer: http://skeptoid.com/blog/2011/10/05/a-lesson-in-treating-illness/

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re Brillant in some ways

      Philbo you might be interested to know that pancreatic cancer has a 5 year survival rate of 4-5% with the average lifespan from diagnosis to death being 5-6 months so to survive 7 years means Steve Jobs was doing something right. And before you say "he was rich and could afford the best" I'm a doctor and pancreatic cancer is a f***k*r of an illness and it will get you, rich or poor , in the end and I would never call a patient stupid for trying anything they think may help as death sadly draws closer.

      Steve Jobs battled against the "dying light" in public with dignity and appeared to lack self-pity so good on him.

      1. philbo

        @I think I'm lost

        If you'd followed the link I posted, you'd have seen:

        "Most pancreatic cancers are aggressive and always terminal, but Steve was lucky (if you can call it that) and had a rare form called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which is actually quite treatable with excellent survival rates — if caught soon enough. The median survival is about a decade, but it depends on how soon it’s removed surgically."

        1. Toby 10
          FAIL

          I think you are lost

          Unless you think that his liver transplant was homeopathic in some way. Or maybe that someone who spent so much of his life dealing with engineering and science would abandon that for a handful of herbs.

          1. philbo
            FAIL

            @I think I'm lost

            I'm sorry - I was wrong.

            Looks like it was a bit more complicated than the article I first clicked on. Should have thought more before jumping on that particular bandwagon.

  117. Rhiakath Flanders
    Unhappy

    not a mac-guy

    I was never a fan of apple's policy, prices, and all the hype around apple's products, but i gotta admit, i admired Jobs. He had a vision, and the strength to make it true.

    The IT world needed people like him, and we've just lost a great visionary. I was really sorry to hear of his death.

    Men like that are few, and needed.

    He will be missed.

    Rest in peace, Jobs.

    From non-mac fan that admits Steve did an admirable job. (no pun intended)

  118. geekclick

    RIP from an antifanboi

    Your fanbois blind faith drove me up the wall.

    You however were a visionary one of the greats of our time, my condolences to your family Steve.

  119. Deepthroat

    RIP

    What a loss to the world. May not have liked Apple but no question one of the brightest minds of the late 20th early 21st centuries

  120. Willington

    I'm not an Apple fanboi

    But I have a great deal of respect for Steve Jobs and I am sorry to hear of his passing. As many others have said, 56 is too young and especially for someone who was so passionate about the future.

  121. Sean Baggaley 1

    An untimely loss of a Marmite boss.

    Love him or hate him, Steve Jobs' death is a huge loss to the world of business.

    First, of course, there's Jobs' sales skills.

    There are clips of him from way back in Apple's earliest days, and it's clear from these that Jobs' sales skills were _learned_, not something he was born with. Those old clips show a shy, rather uncomfortable figure who was not at home in the limelight. During the 1990s, he learned how to present. How to sell. He rehearsed each presentation endlessly, and had a team backing him up with graphics. He had backup plans for when things went wrong. He knew his products thoroughly, so he could go off-script if needed. That's all there was to his "Reality Distortion Field". He wasn't a god. He was just _good at his job_.

    Another of Steve Jobs' strengths was his ability to spot good talent and let it to do what it did best.

    But Jobs' biggest strength was his willingness to take calculated risks. He genuinely gambled. This is crucial to running a successful, continuing, business.

    Had it not been for Jobs, there would likely be no Pixar today—Jobs almost gave up on the company, but agreed to make one last bet, on a feature-length CGI movie named "Toy Story". How many CEOs wold have done so? I'd wager very few. Risk-aversion is still the norm in business today.

    Jobs' NeXT company, initially a high-end (Jobs clearly had no interest in compromising designs to hit low prices, even back then) computer workstation manufacturer, built an operating system with a user interface that was considered state of the art and well ahead of its competition. That operating system became OS X when Jobs returned to Apple.

    And Jobs took a massive gamble on an Apple designer's vision: Jonathan Ive. Jobs gave Jonathan almost carte blanche to reinvent Apple's entire product line. The result was a return to the classic design-led approach that has been Apple's trademark ever since. It was Jobs who agreed to dropping the 3.5" floppy drive, dropping the Mac's legacy ports entirely, and adopting USB wholeheartedly in that first iMac.

    Now the crucial thing is that Jobs did _not_ hire Jonathan Ive; he was already an Apple employee. Nor was Jobs at Apple when Ive's iMac was originally given the green-light.

    Jobs could so easily have canned it. Most CEOs would have done, preferring to stamp their own ego on their new baby as soon as possible. But Steve Jobs recognised that even a stopped clock tells the right time at least once a day (twice if it's a 12-hour clock), and realised the iMac was the product Apple needed, and Ive was the lead designer Apple needed too. Both choices were huge risks.

    The conservative, risk-averse IT industry and its acolytes felt the iMac should have failed. Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy at this point, yet the first iMacs flew in the face of IT traditions of machines that could be tinkered with, customised, and mucked about with like early motor cars. The iMac was doomed to fail!

    How wrong they were.

    Consumers didn't give a damn about the IT industry fanboys' worthless traditions: they just wanted an appliance that worked without any fuss. A machine that didn't require having a high priest of computing on speed dial for when it inevitably went horribly wrong. Consumers valued convenience over archaic, anachronistic "old-school" computing's pseudo-religious traditions, born in the age of mainframes and punched cards and of little relevance to 99.999% of people today.

    Apple shattered those traditions by putting the user—not the hacker, BOFH, or any other IT fanboy—first. And, since the first Macintosh computer, this was Apple's core business. They lost that focus when Jobs left for the first time, and suffered the consequences.

    Sometimes, a gamble didn't pay off—the G4 Cube is a perfect example of a gamble that didn't pay off, as were ".Mac" and "MobileMe". And that's precisely _why_ Apple squirrelled away so much of its profits into its corporate mattress: you need a financial cushion to ride out those duds and pick up the pieces. Apple did not always get it right. And Jobs freely admitted it.

    *

    If Steve Jobs has taught the industry anything at all, it's that risk is inherent to success. Nobody, no company, no product, became great by playing it safe. That's why CEOs have historically been paid lots of money: they're _supposed_ to take risks and take the responsibility for those risks. The problem of late is that so many of them are rewarded for blundering, failure and risk-averse conservatism. Or for simply trying to take their previous company's core strengths with them and impose it on the new company, as if every corporation was interchangeable. (Yes, Apotheker, I'm looking at you.)

    So the legacy of Steve Jobs is that he's shown the world how businesses _should_ be run. What a good CEO _should_ be like.

    If the business world learns this lesson, that will truly be a hell of a legacy. There could be no better memorial.

  122. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    statue?

    its a big loss, love him or loathe him, he made a big impact in the digital world, my only issue now will be the divine saint like status fanboys will bestow upon him, i even found one guy on another forum i use declaring "Probably the only person you could say has changed the way the world works!" which got my rather cross.

    you just wait for the statues to show up....

    RIP Steve "De mortuis nihil nisi bonum"

  123. andy gibson

    The media reported

    people laying flowers outside Apple stores. I don't understand why anyone other than a close friend or relative would do this.

  124. Tom 13

    RIP

    and condolences for your family and friends.

  125. IBM3270
    Unhappy

    A Sad Day

    Glad to see the posts here have returned to some form of dignity. Jobs best trick was to deliver technology to consumers in a form that was both accessible and fun. Devices that are mean to an end and not an end in themselves.

  126. Sil_W

    Very sad

    I never really knew anything about Mr Jobs aside what the tech media told me, but it's always sad when someone succumbs to something like this.

    My condolences to his family and friends and all at Apple.

  127. Fuh Quit
    Pint

    A Legend in his Lifetime - and more

    Steve was annoying, aloof and obnoxious. He was also clever, charming and revolutionary.

    If you take that last word, "revolutionary", we have to say he's repeatedly been that. From the early days forming Apple with Woz to today, he's been an influencer and he's changed the way we computer many times over.

    He has been so driven that he threatens the dumbest computer component we all use today - the keyboard. Bravo.

    For what it's worth, I have a couple of Apple products but, maybe due to the success of the Apple consumer products, I avoid them. But that's me trying to be an individual and not one of the sheeple (not saying that's wrong, by the way).

    We would not be where we are today without Steve. He's been THE influencer of our generation.

    I have, in my mind's eye, an image of Steve somewhere....sitting with his iPhone5 thanking the Lord for not having to suffer AT&T coverage anymore...!

    RIP, Steve, I raise a beer to you; you will _never_ be forgotten.

  128. Trollslayer
    Unhappy

    RIP

    Whether you liked or disliked him, he was a human being family and friends.

    RIP Steve

  129. Sordid Details
    Unhappy

    Also now available in black

    http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MB769G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3NQ&mco=MTA4MzIyMDY

  130. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I think he summed it up best himself:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15197932

    The realists among us all knew this had to be coming soon (you seldom get more than two years with Pancreatic cancer) but I'd thought he might have lasted into next year.

    Bye Steve.

  131. sisk

    A wasn't fond of his company or most of his recent ideas, but I'm sorry to hear about his death. He was a brilliant businessman who brought a company back from the brink to be the top tech company in the world. You have to respect that kind of genius.

    RIP Mr. Jobs.

  132. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD

    Dear Mr. Jobs

    If I were to write an eulogy:

    + : Without you, Jobs, no Apple, no Apple ][+, which was my first machine *ever*. Wasn't just Woz even though he was probably the more technical... No Jobs... No Apple I, ][ etc..

    - : What has Apple become? Why? Does the end justify the means? And the means is repugnant. Price premium I can handle, but... Lockdown? Espionage, invasion of privacy (err... "undocumented features")? How could you condone this? Your China practices... well everyone does it, innit? but that doesn't make it any more right.

    Apple became a strong force under you but ...turned gradually.. more and more ... I will say it.. frankly...

    ...Evil.

    We can all be idealists but let's all see the reality here. What cost does one pay to subscribe to the Apple cult?

    Jobs, what have you done?

    I'll have NO part in your Apple now.

    Nevertheless, Respect given where due. Ultimately I owe you (quite!) some, I'll grudgingly admit. You and Woz got me started in computers and that's saying a lot. I'm here aren't I?

    Mr. Jobs, I salute (albeit grudgingly) your departure into the great beyond. You were once an iconic figure to me, but you fell far from that pedestal from what you have done. You are well exemplary of Man, capable of good yet so much evil. I guess that's what it boils down to. We are all human and so flawed. So I wish you well. My condolences to your next of kin. I shall remember the lot of yous in my prayers and I am being frank and not being sarcastic here.

    What happens now is between you and God.

  133. Alpha Tony
    Meh

    Meh.

    It could very well be that the guy that designed my toaster is dead. If so it is obviously a tragedy for his family and possibly the toaster company as he is/was obviously a very good toaster designer (its a nice toaster). That's all though.

    Let’s not have a Princess Di style parade of sentimental bullshit. We are not talking about someone that cured cancer while living in poverty - we are talking about someone that designed consumer electronics to make himself rich. Good luck to him, but frankly people more deserving of your tears die every day unnoticed and unrecognised.

  134. BitDr
    Meh

    I never met the man..

    I'm not speaking ill of the dead here, but I'm not going to sugar coat this either. Steve Jobs, for all he has done for Apple and CG movies, was by all accounts a vicious person to work for or compete against. He is famous for berating his own people in front of their peers and in general tearing them apart. That said I did respect his focus, his drive, his sense of design, his ability to adapt to play the game long enough to assume control, and his refusal to march to anyone's drum but his own.

    Fifty six is too young. Rest In Peace Mr. Jobs.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      The successful people are often not very nice to know

      Like you, I can't speak from experience of having met the boundah, but with experience of having worked with some people who were outrageously successful it is a fact that personal success does not come with having a pleasant attitude with work colleagues.

      That's why I shall always be lowly in terms of my personal achievements. Because I'm such a nice guy you see....

  135. This post has been deleted by its author

  136. John Sanders
    Facepalm

    RIP

    Poor guy, dying of that sort of cancer is nasty.

    Rest In Peace, one of the most influential IT business figures ever.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Speaking as I've found it ...

      "Poor guy, dying of that sort of cancer is nasty."

      I think you'll find anyone dying of any type of cancer is usually very nasty.

  137. Paratrooping Parrot

    Sad day

    It is a sad day, not just for Apple fans, but all computer fans. He may not have invented the mouse or icons, but he did make it available to the wider world. His support for the early days of Pixar was revolutionary, and we have him to thank for the wonderful enjoyment we all have had from Pixar films.

  138. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Unhappy

    I'm also not

    an apple fan, but its a sad loss to his family and friends

    But it also goes to show that no matter how billions of dollars you have, or how clever and talented you are, you end up in the same place as everyone else.

    Looking up at a cheap wooden lid to a cheap wooden box.

  139. Jim Keir
    Joke

    Such is the world today...

    ... that even one of the richest corporations in the world is shedding Jobs.

  140. Microphage

    how the market reacted to news of Jobs death

    http://postimage.org/image/34pxw2tes/

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yes ...

      Ghastly. The graph shows us perfectly what that segment of the human race is really like.

  141. Wortel

    Strength and kindness to your family. Rest well Mr.Jobs.

  142. blem wit
    Unhappy

    The IT world just has just got one reality distortion field less interesting.

    May the root user upstairs have his soul.

    Rest in peace.

  143. dct
    Angel

    Legend

    The world is full of successful business leaders who got lucky, and led a company to greatness by being in the right place at the right time. Afterwards they move on and live overpaid lives where they achieve little more.

    Apple, Pixar, NeXT (aka the tech that took Apple from their shares being suspended to biggest in the world)... To lead THREE companies from obscurity to household names. That's not luck - that's the stuff of legend.

  144. Stevie

    Bah!

    ...just "Bah!"

    No-one deserves to die that way. Not Steve Jobs nor my friend Jilly, who lost to Stomach cancer this week.

    Fuck cancer.

  145. Grubby

    RIP

    Even if you hate Apple you can't deny he's turned the company into a giant and he did it after being told he wasn't needed.

    And for those that don't like the products, think of the millions of people who do who have had a smile on their face when they get it as a gift. The man has put smiles on the faces of many.

    Finally, my thoughts are with his family and friends at what must be a very difficult time.

  146. Beelzeebub
    Flame

    Condolences to his family and all...

    ... perhaps he's gone to iHeaven.

  147. earl grey
    Pint

    another sad loss

    Love 'em or hate 'em. Another giant of the industry is gone.

  148. Peter O'Hanra-Hanrahan

    Thanks for Pixar Steve.

  149. David 45

    Too young

    I make no bones about my opinions of Apple and Steve Jobs. Both ruthless to the core (pardon the pun), plus their products are always hyped up out of all proportion to what they actually are - basic items with a bit of style. However, my sympathies to Jobs' family. 56 is no age at all and he's certainly been very unlucky with his health, and I certainly would have not wished those related problems on him.

  150. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    At the keel?

    What are you on? The keel is the hull of a boat matey. I think you might have meant helm.

    aka Seaman Staines

    aka Roger the cabin boy

  151. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Artist

    RIP Steve, I'm sorry to see you go.

    Many complaints here re: Steve, not being a real innovator, being a jerk with colleagues, being too controlling, etc.

    I think all of the complaints disappear if you view the man as an artist. He wanted to make beautiful pieces of hardware and software:

    - Innovation: most painters don't 'innovate' their own canvas, paints, or even genre of painting, but they can still produce beautiful, innovative paintings.

    - Being a controlling jerk: like any artist would, he clearly wanted his "art" to be made in a very specific way (by his employees) and for the public to appreciate it in a certain way. Just like Leonardo wouldn't want the Mona Lisa printed on novelty toilet paper, Jobs didn't want customers to dirty their iPhones with "swype keyboards" and sideloaded apps.

    It just so happened that his art intersected with the business/commercial world in a unique way that many unfortunately found offensive.

  152. Duncan 4
    Unhappy

    He'll be missed by the industry

    I remember seeing him holding that first ipad when it was released and thinking, “thats nuts he's totally lost it, it's a big iphone and it'll never take off”. big time egg on face for me! He was an exceptional visionary like gates who somehow could see what the next ‘missing’ device or product was .

    Apple products are generally not the best in the class and don’t offer great value for money either which is why I normally stay away but a number of the devices I carry today are based on apple products. Where apple/jobs excelled by far was making him (self confessed geek) cool and making electronic devices appear cool too. He had a massive effect on the whole tech industry and he’ll be missed but it even his competitors as well of course by those twits that queue up at midnight to get the latest ipad and then clap each other on the way out  if they need a new leader I am available

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like