Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

[nato23]

Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.

Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday. The Apple.com homepage featured a black-and-white picture of him with the words "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011."

The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone had resigned as CEO of the world's largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

A survivor of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

"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," Apple said in a statement announcing Jobs' passing.

"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."

Job's health had been a controversial topic for years. His battle with cancer had been a deep concern to Apple fans, investors and the company's board alike. In past years, even board members have confided to friends their concern that Jobs, in his quest for privacy, wasn't being forthcoming enough with directors about the true condition of his health.

Now, despite investor confidence in Cook, who has stood in for his boss during three leaves of absence, there remain concerns about whether the company would stay a creative force to be reckoned with beyond the next year or so without its founder and visionary at the helm.

The news triggered an immediate outpouring of sympathy. Among others, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he will miss Jobs "immensely".

APPLE, NEXT, IPHONE

A college dropout, Buddhist and son of adoptive parents, Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in the late 1970s. The company soon introduced the Apple 1 computer.

But it was the Apple II that became a huge success and gave Apple its position as a critical player in the then-nascent PC industry, culminating in a 1980 IPO that made Jobs a multimillionaire.

Despite the subsequent success of the Mac, Jobs' relationship with top management and the board soured. The company removed most of his powers and then in 1985 he was fired.

Apple's fortunes waned after that. However, its purchase of NeXT -- the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- in 1997 brought him back into the fold. Later that year, he became interim CEO and in 2000, the company dropped "interim" from his title.

Along the way Jobs also had managed to revolutionise computer animation with his other company, Pixar, but it was the iPhone in 2007 that capped his legacy in the annals of modern technology history.

Two years before the gadget that forever transformed the way people around the world access and use the Internet, Jobs talked about how a sense of his mortality was a major driver behind that vision.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.

"Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

[evergreen]

Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.

Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday. The Apple.com homepage featured a black-and-white picture of him with the words "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011."

The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone had resigned as CEO of the world's largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

A survivor of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

"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," Apple said in a statement announcing Jobs' passing.

"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."

Job's health had been a controversial topic for years. His battle with cancer had been a deep concern to Apple fans, investors and the company's board alike. In past years, even board members have confided to friends their concern that Jobs, in his quest for privacy, wasn't being forthcoming enough with directors about the true condition of his health.

Now, despite investor confidence in Cook, who has stood in for his boss during three leaves of absence, there remain concerns about whether the company would stay a creative force to be reckoned with beyond the next year or so without its founder and visionary at the helm.

The news triggered an immediate outpouring of sympathy. Among others, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he will miss Jobs "immensely".

APPLE, NEXT, IPHONE

A college dropout, Buddhist and son of adoptive parents, Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in the late 1970s. The company soon introduced the Apple 1 computer.

But it was the Apple II that became a huge success and gave Apple its position as a critical player in the then-nascent PC industry, culminating in a 1980 IPO that made Jobs a multimillionaire.

Despite the subsequent success of the Mac, Jobs' relationship with top management and the board soured. The company removed most of his powers and then in 1985 he was fired.

Apple's fortunes waned after that. However, its purchase of NeXT -- the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- in 1997 brought him back into the fold. Later that year, he became interim CEO and in 2000, the company dropped "interim" from his title.

Along the way Jobs also had managed to revolutionise computer animation with his other company, Pixar, but it was the iPhone in 2007 that capped his legacy in the annals of modern technology history.

Two years before the gadget that forever transformed the way people around the world access and use the Internet, Jobs talked about how a sense of his mortality was a major driver behind that vision.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.

"Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

RIP Steve jobs!!

[Simplelife]

RIP Mr. Jobs

[techlove]

The world would be a much better place if we have more tech visionaries like him.

RIP Steve !

[rameez]

He was one of my personal admirers, since he never lost it completely to Msoft...they were freinds but tough rivals in business......he always came up with something unique.....

one of the best

Edited October 6, 2011 by rameez

[jdnet]

The world would be a much better place if we have more tech visionaries like him.

Not really though...we'd still be killing each other. Probably using high tech equipment.

[Pericles]

WHY is this under the car-buying information section of the forums, and why did someone think the proper thing to do was copy and paste an article with no proper attribution?

[luckey007]

RIP Mr.Jobs!

[MasterDon]

Aw c'mon!...not AL too...My FB & Gmail are already crammed with mourning apple fanboys...

R.I.P Mr.Apple man!

[Ripper]

Aw c'mon!...not AL too...My FB & Gmail are already crammed with mourning apple fanboys...

R.I.P Mr.Apple man!

ha ha ha.... since now you said it..i'll send a few hundred more on your way

btw. Mr. President has also sent his condolences how cool is that yeah... i wonder what he has...ipad? macbook? iphone perhaps or maybe all of them

Edited October 6, 2011 by Ripper

[Mani]

Aw c'mon!...not AL too...My FB & Gmail are already crammed with mourning apple fanboys...

R.I.P Mr.Apple man!

Mah bad Don. I'll stop using your e-mail to surf porn sites.

[Ripper]

MD

i kinda apple "fanboyed" your fb page mate

[MasterDon]

MD

i kinda apple "fanboyed" your fb page mate

ADOOO!!!

You insufferable fanboy you...now my profile looks like steve jobs puked on it :angry: :lol:

You wait...when the playstation founder dies I'm gonna come and take a dump on your door step.

[jdnet]

MD

i kinda apple "fanboyed" your fb page mate

thought i'd join in on the fun

[jdnet]

WHY is this under the car-buying information section of the forums, and why did someone think the proper thing to do was copy and paste an article with no proper attribution?

because you're cute when you're mad

[MasterDon]

thought i'd join in on the fun

NOT iFUNNYYY!!!

Now my beautiful sexy profile is iRuined!!!...you should be iAshamed of yourself.

[The Stig]

NOT iFUNNYYY!!!

Now my beautiful sexy profile is iRuined!!!...you should be iAshamed of yourself.

iCare, so i took the liberty of showing you what a great man Steve is

[MasterDon]

iCare, so i took the liberty of showing you what a great man Steve is

AAAARRRGHHHH!!!...some say he's a total arse

[Rebel]

He was both... 'they' say.

[The Stig]

AAAARRRGHHHH!!!...some say he's a total arse

V-tec kicked in yo

[The Stig]

Double post

Edited October 7, 2011 by The Stig

[miniace]

RIP Mr Jobbs!

MINIACE

[nato23]

i posted an article here cz i knw thr a couple or more die-hard fans of apple suck as ripper and so on... also we all can agree tht he has done a great job to produce some tech savvy and quality products to the markets which are much better than WINDOWS...

[Pericles]

i posted an article here cz i knw thr a couple or more die-hard fans of apple suck as ripper and so on... also we all can agree tht he has done a great job to produce some tech savvy and quality products to the markets which are much better than WINDOWS...

We can?

Also, I don't mind you posting the article, as long as you put it in the proper section. Car Buying Information is not the proper section. I had to move it. I hate doing extra work.

Also, posting an article without attribution is copyright violation and stealing. No one is gonna think you wrote it, looking at your posts, but its still wrong not to credit the proper author.

[Skyline R33]

RIP Mr Jobs.