Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday at age 56, left an indelible mark on the world with his uncanny ability to marry hard-core technology with an understanding of human nature. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who succeeded Jobs in August, said “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being… Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple”.
“It’s kind of like when John Lennon died, or JFK… I’m a little bit, like, awestruck, just dumbfounded, and I can’t put my mind into gear,” said Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Announcing his death Apple’s board of directors said, “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.”
US President Barack Obama remarked that “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it”. Microsoft head and former rival Bill Gates, acknowledging the brilliance of his former nemesis, said “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come… For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor”.
