Steve Jobs Has Passed Away

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Press release from the issuing company

Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim

Statement by Apple’s Board of Directors

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

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Discussion

By Adam Dewitz on Oct 05, 2011

Jobs was our Gutenberg.

By Megs Casey on Oct 06, 2011

Steve Jobs will leave a gaping hole in the Apple firmament and the world will be less rich without him.

By Peter Muir on Oct 06, 2011

Steve Jobs helped me to be more creative than I thought I ever could be--not just with tools but with incredible ideas. Rest in peace.

By Charlotte Cody on Oct 06, 2011

Who knows what today's world would have been like without Steve Jobs? His ideas and inventions are pretty much taken for granted today, which is in itself a testament to his genius. RIP Steve, you will be very sorely missed.

By Gina Danner on Oct 06, 2011

Sad news. If there can be anything positive from his passing it is perhaps the attention on his innovative spirit, fearless focus and undaunting pursuit of his ideas that might inspire more leaders of big business to foster disruptive solutions.

By Patrick Henry on Oct 06, 2011

Graphic communications as we know it today began with Apple technology: the WYSYWIG interface for personal computing, the LaserWriter for PostScript-enabled printing, tools for typography on the desktop, and, later, system-level support for color management. Print probably won't be recognized by the general public as a field in which Jobs was a pioneer. But to those of us who owe our careers in graphics to years of innovations from Apple, he will always be remembered as one of the titans.

By Howie Fenton on Oct 06, 2011

I am sad about the passing of Steve Jobs. I felt like I knew him and that we were friends but that is not true. I did not know him, but I knew the products he inspired. Many who love Apple and their products and who watched and followed them may feel the same way.

I remember vividly falling in love with the my first 128K Macintosh in 1985. Strange as it sounds that small tan box inspired me. After working with Commadors the user interface was a refreshing change. A few years later as graphic arts software came out, I decided to change my career to one that used the Macintosh and today I own almost every gadger Apple makes

I actually meet him once or at least ate at the same table. This was a long time ago when a company called Linotype-Hell announced that they would use his Next computer to power their system. I was writing a story for a technology magazine and was covering the event.

He was with his family and smiling and laughing. It looked like he ws having a a good time and he did not even know it yet but he was starting his great comeback. Apple, the company he had founded which had fired him had just bought his latest company Next and it was not long before he was back at the helm.

If you never saw him make a product presentation, then you missed something special. For years he was one of a handful of highly sought after keynoter speakers at MacWorld and Seybold. He had this unique presentation style that made you think that he was standing right in front of you and speaking just to you.

Those were heady times when computer technology, the user interface, and new product shapes and bold colors were all rapidly evolving from older more utilization designs. We take it for granted today but he inspired those changes

To the untrained eye his presentations appeared spontaneous. But after seeing him more and more it became clear that they were totally orchestrated. Even if you watched from a computer you could see when he hit his stride and found his rhythm it was like watching a master. But that did not happen at the iPad 2 launch. That's when many suspected that something was wrong. If you watch that presentation you can see that he never settled into that rhythm.

While I am sad about this passing I will try and remain optimistic and hopeful. I hope his team at Apple can continue his innovative legacy, so that everyone can enjoy Apple products and feel like they knew him too. That would be his greatest legacy!

By Pete Rivard on Oct 06, 2011

Thank you Steve Jobs for creating a platform that was so appealing that I've been able to make a good life of working and playing with it and teaching others to do likewise. The Mac has enriched both my graphics career and my life as a musician. And I'm just one of millions who can say the same.

By Bruce Watermann on Oct 06, 2011

My humble Steve Jobs blog post. http://printready.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-humble-steve-jobs-blog-post.html

By Charles Corr on Oct 07, 2011

Steve Jobs...American Exceptionalism. A luminary of my generation. A typographer who did well. An inspiration not unlike those he honored in his famous commercial. Think Different!Work with passion and leverage technology to improve lives. RIP.