Steve Jobs: Dead at 56 RIP

[controlthebleeding]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/steve-jobs-apple-ceo-dies/story?id=14383813

By NED POTTER (@NedPotterABC) and COLLEEN CURRY

Oct. 5, 2011

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died in California. Jobs was 56.

The homepage of Apple's website contained a full-page image of Jobs with the text, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011."

Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976 and, with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak, marketed what was considered the world's first personal computer, the Apple II.

Industry watchers called him a master innovator -- perhaps on a par with Thomas Edison -- changing the worlds of computing, recorded music and communications.

In 2004, he beat back an unusual form of pancreatic cancer, and in 2009 he was forced to get a liver transplant. After several years of failing health, Jobs announced on Aug. 24, 2011 that he was stepping down as Apple's chief executive.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Jobs wrote in his letter of resignation. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

One of the world's most famous CEOs, Jobs remained stubbornly private about his personal life, refusing interviews and shielding his wife and their children from public view.

"He's never been a media person," said industry analyst Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, after Jobs resigned. "He's granted interviews in the context of product launches, when it benefits Apple, but you never see him talk about himself."

The highlights of Jobs's career trajectory are well-known: a prodigy who dropped out of Reed College in Oregon and, at 21, started Apple with Wozniak in his parents' garage. He was a multimillionaire by 25, appeared on the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was ousted at Apple at age 30, in 1984.

In the years that followed, he went into other businesses, founding NeXT computers and, in 1986, buying the computer graphics arm of Lucasfilm, Ltd., which became Pixar Animation Studios.

He was described as an exacting and sometimes fearsome leader, ordering up and rejecting multiple versions of new products until the final version was just right. He said the design and aesthetics of a device were as important as the hardware and software inside.

In 1996, Apple, which had struggled without Jobs, brought him back by buying NeXT. He became CEO in 1997 and put the company on a remarkable upward path.

By 2001 the commercial music industry was on its knees because digital recordings, copied and shared online for free, made it unnecessary for millions of people to buy compact discs.

Jobs took advantage with the iPod -- essentially a pocket-sized computer hard drive with elegantly simple controls and a set of white earbuds so that one could listen to the hours of music one saved on it. He set up the iTunes online music store, and persuaded major recording labels to sell songs for 99 cents each. No longer did people have to go out and buy a CD if they liked one song from it. They bought a digital file and stored it in their iPod.

In 2007, he transformed the cell phone. Apple's iPhone, with its iconic touch screen, was a handheld computer, music player, messaging device, digital wallet and -- almost incidentally -- cell phone. Major competitors, such as BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola, struggled after it appeared.......

[controlthebleeding]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/steve-jobs-apple-ceo-dies/story?id=14383813

By NED POTTER (@NedPotterABC) and COLLEEN CURRY

Oct. 5, 2011

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died in California. Jobs was 56.

The homepage of Apple's website contained a full-page image of Jobs with the text, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011."

Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976 and, with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak, marketed what was considered the world's first personal computer, the Apple II.

Industry watchers called him a master innovator -- perhaps on a par with Thomas Edison -- changing the worlds of computing, recorded music and communications.

In 2004, he beat back an unusual form of pancreatic cancer, and in 2009 he was forced to get a liver transplant. After several years of failing health, Jobs announced on Aug. 24, 2011 that he was stepping down as Apple's chief executive.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Jobs wrote in his letter of resignation. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

One of the world's most famous CEOs, Jobs remained stubbornly private about his personal life, refusing interviews and shielding his wife and their children from public view.

"He's never been a media person," said industry analyst Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, after Jobs resigned. "He's granted interviews in the context of product launches, when it benefits Apple, but you never see him talk about himself."

The highlights of Jobs's career trajectory are well-known: a prodigy who dropped out of Reed College in Oregon and, at 21, started Apple with Wozniak in his parents' garage. He was a multimillionaire by 25, appeared on the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was ousted at Apple at age 30, in 1984.

In the years that followed, he went into other businesses, founding NeXT computers and, in 1986, buying the computer graphics arm of Lucasfilm, Ltd., which became Pixar Animation Studios.

He was described as an exacting and sometimes fearsome leader, ordering up and rejecting multiple versions of new products until the final version was just right. He said the design and aesthetics of a device were as important as the hardware and software inside.

In 1996, Apple, which had struggled without Jobs, brought him back by buying NeXT. He became CEO in 1997 and put the company on a remarkable upward path.

By 2001 the commercial music industry was on its knees because digital recordings, copied and shared online for free, made it unnecessary for millions of people to buy compact discs.

Jobs took advantage with the iPod -- essentially a pocket-sized computer hard drive with elegantly simple controls and a set of white earbuds so that one could listen to the hours of music one saved on it. He set up the iTunes online music store, and persuaded major recording labels to sell songs for 99 cents each. No longer did people have to go out and buy a CD if they liked one song from it. They bought a digital file and stored it in their iPod.

In 2007, he transformed the cell phone. Apple's iPhone, with its iconic touch screen, was a handheld computer, music player, messaging device, digital wallet and -- almost incidentally -- cell phone. Major competitors, such as BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola, struggled after it appeared.......

[Snaggle Von Swift]

shame, R.I.P.

[Snaggle Von Swift]

shame, R.I.P.

[mcm1610]

Just saw that on CNN. Crazy.

[mcm1610]

Just saw that on CNN. Crazy.

[controlthebleeding]

<<<<<<[sad mac] (well not really, but i feel for his family)

[controlthebleeding]

<<<<<<[sad mac] (well not really, but i feel for his family)

[adamlikesmusic]

Sad news.

[adamlikesmusic]

Sad news.

[podface]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

[podface]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

[xlovecolouredx]

i'm not a big fan of apple but i can say many things in many books by jobs inspired me very much.

r.i.p. jobs....

[xlovecolouredx]

i'm not a big fan of apple but i can say many things in many books by jobs inspired me very much.

r.i.p. jobs....

[pibbals]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

comparing Jim Henson to a man who denied that his daughter was his own and actively ended corporate philanthropy when he came back to Apple in 97 is kind of a stretch.

That said, RIP dude

[pibbals]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

comparing Jim Henson to a man who denied that his daughter was his own and actively ended corporate philanthropy when he came back to Apple in 97 is kind of a stretch.

That said, RIP dude

[j4m35]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

comparing Jim Henson to a man who denied that his daughter was his own and actively ended corporate philanthropy when he came back to Apple in 97 is kind of a stretch.

That said, RIP dude

+1

[j4m35]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

comparing Jim Henson to a man who denied that his daughter was his own and actively ended corporate philanthropy when he came back to Apple in 97 is kind of a stretch.

That said, RIP dude

+1

[kriss]

56 is way young to go (not that I'm valuing this death over any given child who does of malnourishment). When I see this kind of stuff, it reminds me that disease is never biased with who it takes and certainly that's sobering to think about in terms of what we all do with our lives. I know that's kitchen sink philosophy at best and wasting too much time thinking about a prominent publicly revered person's death over the countless deaths of 'obscure' unknowns every single day, but it makes me think of where I could be if I asserted my time more carefully. Things to think about for sure.

[kriss]

56 is way young to go (not that I'm valuing this death over any given child who does of malnourishment). When I see this kind of stuff, it reminds me that disease is never biased with who it takes and certainly that's sobering to think about in terms of what we all do with our lives. I know that's kitchen sink philosophy at best and wasting too much time thinking about a prominent publicly revered person's death over the countless deaths of 'obscure' unknowns every single day, but it makes me think of where I could be if I asserted my time more carefully. Things to think about for sure.

[adamlikesmusic]

I know he was a really influential person and all, but was surprised to see this on the front page of ESPN.

Even the White House relea sed a statement.

[adamlikesmusic]

I know he was a really influential person and all, but was surprised to see this on the front page of ESPN.

Even the White House relea sed a statement.

[dethrock]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

+1 also.

[dethrock]

sucks. usually celebrity deaths never affect me, but i feel as though we actually lost a true visionary. like we're almost missing out on a lot of great ideas and advancements due to the passing of one man. i've actually been on a huge muppets kick these past couple of months.. which led me to old sesame street videos.. episodes of fraggle rock.. behind the scene features.. and then to multiple documentaries on jim henson, and even a video of his memorial. although i was only like 2 when he passed.. i felt this intense sadness watching these clips. his life was cut so short, and he had SO much more to offer. same with jobs.

+1 also.

[monk0nuggets]