Fans and followers of visionary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs were devastated to learn that the 56-year-old had lost his battle with cancer and died yesterday — only months after handing over the reins of his company to longtime operations chief Tim Cook.

Tributes have been pouring in from around the world where mourners have visited Apple stores to lay flowers and pay their respects. On a bench outside Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, an iPad with the picture of Jobs have allowed people to leave flowers in honor of a man who has been praised as the greatest CEO in history.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was quotes by The New York Times for saying that Steve Jobs’ death was ‘truly saddening’ and that “the world rarely sees someone who has the profound impact Stave 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.” He added, “I will miss Steve immensely.”

President Obama also issued a statement: “Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs,” it read. “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.”

There has also been several online tributes since Apple announced the passing. On Apple.com, a full-page tribute is available in memory of the leader. A short letter is also available:

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.

On Twitter, fans have been sharing their own favorite Steve Jobs quotes; the best of which have been collected in a tribute via Mashable.com.

The legacy of Jobs work cannot be overseen; with Macintosh computers, Apple redefined the way computer users around the world would approach technology. He brought style, simplicity and above all, creativity, into the equation — thinking about customer needs and delivering them before consumers even knew what they wanted.

Foxnews.com described the digital messiah as “that rare combination, a visionary who could see something better in the future, but who could then get down into the nitty-gritty to push through to triumphant completion.”

When he co-founded the Apple company back in 1976 with Steve Wozniak, no one could have imagined how the college drop-out would dazzle the world with his work — not just once, but twice. After a near-fatal run under CEO John Sculley, it was Jobs who resurrected the drowning company and through radical transformation, shaped it into the empire it has become today.

Some criticize the Machintosh for simply adding crowd-pleasing design to existing technology but as The Daily Telegraph explains “many people – in the tech world and beyond – believe his impact on society and culture was monumental. He prompted millions to embrace digital technology, online media and mobile communications in ways they never did before.”

Bloomberg could report that the Apple Inc. shares fell after the news of the former CEO’s death. Jobs was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2003 which is a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Andreas Lipkow, an equity trader at MWB Fairtrade Wertpapierhandelsbank AG in Frankfurt commented to Businessweek.com on the drop as a ‘shock reaction’ to the news. “In his position as a visionary I think he organized things and I think the new CEO will run things really well.”

You can send your thoughts and condolences to Apple as they have set up an email for the collection of words from fans: remembersteve@apple.com

Finally, one of the most beloved speeches from Jobs were at the 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech. Watch below – RIP Steve Jobs.

The article Goodbye Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The year 1984 signified for Apple the beginning of a new era, where Big Brother rules were extraordinarily turned upside-down by a computer too small to do computing. Perhaps the computer was small, but the vision was great enough to grow beyond making — to satisfy a growing and developing market within mainstream technology.

Steve Jobs’ resignation from his lifework brings back the story of a most valuable commercial. 1984 won’t be like “1984” was the final statement of the Apple commercial that introduced the Macintosh. The outstanding determination and belief of Steve Jobs introducing the commercial predicted the success of a company and a man.

Like any good story, Apple was brought to life under the humblest of circumstances. Built on passion, youth and a courage to experience, what was thought not worth for a resounding name, Apple became one of today’s leading companies. Selling a Volkswagen and a programmable calculator, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak conceived the first version of Apple.

They first met at a Hewlett Packard internship and continued to collaborate while being members of the Homebrew Computer Club, both highly passionate about electronics. Seeing things differently and always bringing in personal experiences, the two created the fundaments of present technology: Macintosh, iTunes, iPhone, iPad — could you imagine life without them?

What defined their success is not reserved to passion. Steve Jobs quit Oregon’s Reed College, but took classes in calligraphy to improve his sense of aesthetics. Steve Wozniak understood that more lied beyond the screen and keyboard.

Jobs did not rest with simple solutions when he needed to facilitate the interaction between human and computer — we owe him the mouse and the object-oriented interface. “One was more the engineer- technologist, one wanted to do things,” said Wozniak in an interview.

Steve Jobs has aligned his love for Apple equal to his family: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do” and perhaps that constituted the key element for such a professional and precise way to succes.

Meanwhile, even people outside the regular Apple fan base respect the innovator. Steve Jobs mastered the introduction of 1984 because he saw behind simple things: he saw consumerism beyond technology. We might say that the two friends designed the future of technology.

At the time of his resignation, Jobs recognizes that “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of (…) But I don’t have any skeletons in my closet that can’t be allowed out.” Success meant backsteps as well. After a period of withdrawal from Apple, he came back more energetic and weighted in experience — from 1997 he led Apple to new heights.

But these accomplishments were possible through team effort. He has stated that the company persists through the “ideas, not hierarchy.” In the moment of stepping down, he proudly announces his trust in the next generation. Apple’s temporarily CEO Tim Cook received great recommendations from Steve Jobs. Success should be safe when the one leaving is convinced he passed his knowledge and vision on.

Steve Jobs has been called a mentor for Apple’s new generation and for any young entrepreneur, and surely his statement is encouraging: “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

The year 1984 launched the success af a vision which after 27 years is still highly acclaimed. Steve Jobs never settle: even his resignation is viewed through the lens of his debut.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/farber/

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