Remembering Steve Jobs

You've probably heard the sad news by now. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc. and an incredibly talented innovator, has passed away at the age of 56.

Steve was an immensely gifted visionary, a genius, and a friend to many people. He revolutionized the computer industry, and pretty much the entire world. He was even part of the Disney Board of Directors, and a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. On top of all this, he helped bring Pixar to life, after buying Lucasfilm's "Graphics Group" so that they could become their own company. He saw the potential in John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, and all the others, and together they created the studio that so many people now know and love.

Jobs was CEO of Pixar until Disney bought it in 2006, and was CEO of Apple until just recently resigning in August due to his health. Steve over went a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

I visited Apple's website earlier, and of course, they had the new iPhone 4S all big and bold on the homepage. Then I visited it about one or two hours later, and there was a big black and white photo of Steve Jobs, next to the text that read, Steve Jobs: 1955 - 2011. Clicking on the text would lead you to this message:

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 inspiring mentor. Steve leaves the company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

For anyone who would like to offer concolences, share memories, and remember the late Steve Jobs, an email has been created by Apple at rememberingsteve@apple.com.

Also, be sure to read his biography, simply titled Steve Jobs: A Biography, which will be available in November.

There have been many words offered for Steve. Here are a few...

From John Lasseter and Ed Catmull:

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.’ He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

From Bob Iger, CEO of Disney:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an “original,” with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

From Samad Rizvi of The Pixar Times:

As both Apple and Pixar are close to my heart, seeing the passing of Steve Jobs is tough to contemplate. There are no words that can possibly summarize the effect that he had on the world. While he will be missed, his legacy will live on in Cupertino, Emeryville, and all across the world.

And there are so much more out there, but if I listed even 0.01% of them, this blog post would go on forever.

My prayers, too, are with Steve's friends and family. He was, and always will be, an incredible and inspirational man, and is one of the best examples there is that one person can make a difference. I wish I could have had the chance to meet him in person, but he will always be one of my idols. Goodbye Steve Jobs.

Rest in Peace Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)