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Steve Jobs has passed away.

From http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/
patricktomas | 2011-10-05 | 4338

Comments:

sneak

2011-10-05
:(

I haven't the words.

ubi

2011-10-05
very tasteful, props Apple.

InclinedPlane

2011-10-05
Not a perfect man (who, even among the great, is?), but in his own way he did his fair share for the betterment of mankind. He helped people connect with each other, he helped people do their jobs, he helped people make art. We should all be so lucky.

jianshen

2011-10-05
This makes me really really sad deep inside. What an incredible journey.

gokhan

2011-10-05
He was 56 years old, too young to die :(

cilantro

2011-10-05
My first computer was a Macintosh Plus at age ~5. Not sure what I would be doing with my life without his contribution.

danvideo

2011-10-05
Knew he was sick, but wasn't expecting this.

The world has lost a unique and brilliant technology-business-design leader, the likes of which are few and far between.

dustingetz

2011-10-05
Jobs imagines his garbage regularly not being emptied in his office, and when he asks the janitor why, he gets an excuse: The locks have been changed, and the janitor doesn’t have a key. This is an acceptable excuse coming from someone who empties trash bins for a living. The janitor gets to explain why something went wrong. Senior people do not. “When you’re the janitor,” Jobs has repeatedly told incoming VPs, “reasons matter.” He continues: “Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” That “Rubicon,” he has said, “is crossed when you become a VP.

-- Jobs (via secondary source [1])

[1] http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jo...

sosuke

2011-10-05
I didn't realize how sick he was. I wish his family well and I hope he was able to enjoy his successors first product launch yesterday and know that he left Apple in good hands. A sad day for everyone.

cedsav

2011-10-05
Cancer sucks.

If you care to learn more about the disease and the search for a cure, check out "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Fascinating, scary and sobering.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q66B5C

dlss

2011-10-05
they took our jobs :(

donohoe

2011-10-05
"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. 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."

June 12th 2005 Stanford commencement speech

Text: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

cek

2011-10-05
When I was 10 I visited my uncle’s factory in Michigan. He sat me down in front of an Apple II and fired up a video game. As I played Castle, I noticed the manual for the Applesoft programming language sitting next to the computer. I cracked it open and realized I could break into the monitor and see the source code.

I did just that, modifying the game to the point it was no longer playable. I had saved the file and effectively broke it. I shut off the computer, and never told my uncle.

The excitement of that moment stuck with me and was the enabler of the amazing life I've had since.

Thank you Steve Jobs. RIP.

47

2011-10-05
Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs will be remembered as the greatest inventor and entrepreneur of our era.

melvinng

2011-10-05
Love him or hate him, and the company he created, this man was an icon who changed the way we interact with technology. This is a sad day.

pyrmont

2011-10-05
I miss you, Steve.

geuis

2011-10-05
This wasn't the "One more thing..." that I wanted.

fosk

2011-10-05
Thanks Steve, thanks for your inspiration. You pushed the human race forward.

100k

2011-10-05
My dad also died of pancreatic cancer that spread to his liver (he was 55). Tough disease. Steve died before his time, but in many ways he beat the odds. Five year survivorship rate for pancreatic cancer is around 5%.

His vision will be missed. He left an indelible mark on a generation of technology users, and then did it again.

ilamont

2011-10-05
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me ... Going to bed at night, saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me."

- Inscription on Steve Jobs' star at the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame in Cambridge, Mass., unveiled on 9/16/2011: http://instagr.am/p/NPa4o/

veyron

2011-10-05
The world lost a great industrialist ...

PedroCandeias

2011-10-05
Just adding my voice to the millions who will be mourning the man and the visionary. As someone who works with computers for a living, I'm thankful for the beautiful tools his company created. As an entrepreneur, I'm intrigued and moved by his example.

marcamillion

2011-10-05
Walter Isascson had better be prepared for the amount of books he is about to sell - http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/14516485...

A more 'perfect' PR stunt, the official autobiographer of Steve Jobs couldn't ask for...before you start downvoting me for a seemingly insensitive comment, I don't mean that is perfect that he died. Absolutely not.

I am dealing with the loss just like any other tech-loving fan-boi.

Just pointing out that it the PR storm generated around this book as a result of his passing, will be nothing like he could have ever paid for....i.e. it is 'perfect' (from a selling the books perspective).

Perfectly sad...otherwise.

RegEx

2011-10-05
A very respectable tribute, right down to the img src.

http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png

chunkyslink

2011-10-05
I never met Steve Jobs but my house and life is jammed packed full of things that he had the vision to create.

I can honestly say that I think my life if better because of this. Lets hope they can continue to innovate and improve people lives to the same degree that mine has been influenced.

aespinoza

2011-10-05
This is indeed very sad news....

yoda_sl

2011-10-05
This is a sad day in History

kristofferR

2011-10-05
"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

- Steve Jobs

nhangen

2011-10-05
Wow, this makes me really effing sad. What's worse is no one in my family understands, so it's like going into mourning solo. Bummer...

RIP Steve

yojimbo311

2011-10-05
This really made the world a little less bright for me today.

RIP Steve. Thank you for everything you've done to bring your magic to the world. Thank you also for things you haven't done, but easily could have.

amorphid

2011-10-05
I was a PC guy for 26 years, making fun of Apples/Macs for most of that time. Eventually Macs became so awesome that I couldn't help but love them. Jobs was able to convert me, and that wasn't an easy thing to do.

tc

2011-10-05
What Apple is going to be missing without Steve Jobs isn't creative talent or even someone capable of saying 'no.'

It's going to be missing someone who has the absolute credibility to say it.

Anyone can be a tyrant. If Steve Jobs was a dictator, it was because people thought he had the right to be.

scarmig

2011-10-05
One has to wonder what he might have accomplished with a full life span.

What he managed to do, though, is genuinely incredible, and he has much to be proud of. He made the world more beautiful.

RIP, Steve.

lewispb

2011-10-05
“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life." - Steve Jobs.

pitdesi

2011-10-05
I'm surprised at how sad (devastated?) this news makes me. I use Apple products now, but I am not at all a fanboy of the company and for many years defended the other side. I really hate the proprietary nature of many of their products and only use them if there is nothing else equivalent in the "open" world. That I own a few Apple products speaks volumes in itself.

But Steve has been an inspiration for the past decade or so. Brilliant, passionate, energetic, and visionary in a way that no one else can ever be.

I don't believe any company in history has had the 10 year record of Apple in the 00's. He's a genius in technology and business... but you can't study him like any other company. Case studies on Apple don't work. Because other companies don't have Steve.

Sidenote: You know he had a profound impact when the news of his departure slows down HN this much. R.I.P.

dr_

2011-10-05
Accomplished more in his 56 years of life than many people do in a full lifetime.

Thank you for your vision, creativity and inspiration.

Rotor

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs said he wanted to make a dent in the universe. I'd say he achieved that, he fundamentally changed the world of technology. What an amazing journey and legacy to leave behind. Rest in peace Steve.

pixelcloud

2011-10-05
"If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth -- and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago." --Steve Jobs - Fortune, Feb. 19, 1996

Folcon

2011-10-05
I am not an Apple fan, I say that because I own no iPad, iPhone, iPod or iMac.

As someone who is starting and striving to build beautiful software and become an entrepreneur, Jobs is an inspiration.

He has done more than few could hope to achieve.

I feel saying anything else will just sound corny, which is not what he deserves.

So RIP Steve.

candre717

2011-10-05
Even in the face of death, Jobs was a great visionary until the end. Now that's inspiring.

pixelcloud

2011-10-05
Just remember this.

"You know, I've got a plan that could rescue Apple. I can't say any more than that it's the perfect product and the perfect strategy for Apple. But nobody there will listen to me." -- Steve Jobs, Sept. 18, 1995

"If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth -- and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago." -- Steve Jobs, Feb. 19, 1996

The best ideas are the ones you have to force on people.

protomyth

2011-10-05
In the early 90's I was pretty sure I didn't want be a programmer anymore. I really got no joy from Windows and the Macintosh was looking like it was dead. I got ahold of NeXTSTEP 3.3 and was hooked. I remember the joy stuff like the Apple II and the Atari 400 brought me. It was just amazing. It is such a shame to know Steve Jobs, Seymour Cray, and Jay Miner are no longer with us. I should be happy to have been alive for the start of it all though.

hesdeadjim

2011-10-05
I'm quite sad at this loss -- both for the people he leaves behind and for an industry that desperately needs vision of his caliber.

On a personal note, if it weren't for Steve Jobs' relentless determination to revolutionize the mobile industry, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to make a living writing games for a platform I love. Thank you and RIP Steve.

channelmeter

2011-10-05
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” - Steve Jobs

chetan51

2011-10-05
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. - Apple Inc.

orky56

2011-10-05
He poured his life and soul into Apple. When his health suffered, he fought tooth and nail and stayed involved with Apple until the very end. When he left Apple (feels like just yesterday), he said it was because he truly felt he was unable to continue to lead.

I'm left with a feeling of ambivalence. I feel bad that he couldn't enjoy the fruits of his labor by retiring and spending time with his family or whatever other interests he had. At the same time, I know that he wouldn't have had it any other way.

He recognized his gift and shared it with all of us. The experiences when using his products and the emotions when hearing him speak. I feel blessed just to have been a witness to such a human's life.

maxwin

2011-10-05
It just reminds me of how impermanent life is. It's still hard for me to swallow the fact that Steve Jobs has already passed away. RIP Steve. Your inspirations will continue to live with us.

JunkDNA

2011-10-05
I had a feeling this was right around the corner the moment I saw his presentation to the Cupertino planning committee. My dad died of pancreatic cancer 10 years ago at the age of 46. In the month or so leading up to the end, as his liver started to fail, his voice changed and at times seemed almost "thick". When I heard Steve start to speak, it immediately made me think of my dad.

My heart goes out to his family and friends. Steve was a childhood hero of mine as far back as I can remember. The world was a much better place with him in it.

juliano_q

2011-10-05
I am not the biggest Apple fan. I love my macbook and I have a very old iPod, but in the last few years I misliked the company attitude. Even so, suddenly I feel that the world is a worst place to live. RIP Steve.

axefrog

2011-10-05
He worked up until he barely had a month left. That's passion for you.

diogenescynic

2011-10-05
He made the world a better place and he was our generation's Walt Disney, Howard Hughes, Thomas Edison, Jack Welch, and Henry Ford all at once. Revolutionized multiple industries.

He will be sorely missed.

xelipe

2011-10-05
What amazes me most about his life is that he revolutionized on so many fronts and his innovations have helped people of all walks of life. Pixar movies have entertained children of all ages, the iPhone market has been a great resource for educational tools to help children with disabilities, and he did so with style. (;_;)

chaosmachine

2011-10-05
If you watched the iPhone keynote yesterday, you may have noticed this:

http://i.imgur.com/BsIoS.png

This shot was shown for about 5 seconds right at the beginning of the recording. Front row, center. Reserved. Empty.

ankimal

2011-10-05
RIP Steve Jobs, one of the greatest visionaries of our times.

scelerat

2011-10-05
Yay Steve Jobs for making a dent in the universe. Inspiring.

MatthewB

2011-10-05
I (along with countless other people) lost a hero today.

Steve Jobs was the person who inspired me to join the tech industry. I first really knew who Steve Jobs was after watching the (not so bad) made-for-tv movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley." I always knew I wanted to work with technology but after seeing that movie I knew I wanted to be part of the Silicon Valley culture that Steve helped create. Steve has inspired me for years and I am extremely sad about this loss. We will all miss him dearly.

RIP Steve Jobs 

andrewl

2011-10-05
He gave me a bicycle for my mind. That's a powerful gift, and I'm grateful.

plq

2011-10-05
the world is a scarier place now.

a moment of hush for mr. jobs.

ericb

2011-10-05
Pixar, iphones, ipads, macs, macbook air, the apple II, the ipod.

I am so very sad, but when I think of his life and gifts, all I want to do is applaud.

rufugee

2011-10-05
I'd be lying if I said I was a big Apple fan. I'm a Linux guy and never saw a need or benefit to pay the premium required for entry through the Apple gates (well, ok, I bought a Macbook for iPhone development, but I didn't enjoy it).

That said, Steve was a great force in the world of technology, and whether you liked their products or not, you have to appreciate Apple's effect on competition in the marketplace...they simply continue to push the envelope, and technology wouldn't be what it is today with Steve and his creations. RIP.

donw

2011-10-05
I didn't think I'd be this emotional about Jobs, but as I sit here in my apartment in Tokyo, surrounded by Apple products, I'm reminded at the impact he's had on my life.

On our lives. How many people on HN own iPhones and MacBooks?

There's no more fitting tribute to the man than to throw some Beatles up on iTunes and create something wonderful.

Gentlemen, let's make a dent in the universe.

dabent

2011-10-05
From playing on an Apple][ on middle school to typing this on a Mac - Steve Jobs certainly influenced me as a developer. So many times the world seemed to chase the designs he pioneered or pushed into the mainstream. Without his leadership and his effective counterweight to Microsoft and IBM, the world would have been much different.

felipemnoa

2011-10-05
A truly sad day for humanity. Thank you so much Steve Jobs for giving us so much.

_frog

2011-10-05
Cancer is such an ugly way to go, we lost a great man today.

gfodor

2011-10-05
Silicon Valley is about to go into mourning. I am having a hard time getting back to work. We've been getting more rain in the south bay the last 3 days than we have all summer, it feels oddly right now.

I think Paul Graham's post earlier today had something for us to remember as we work through this great, deep loss:

"I flew into the Bay Area a few days ago. I notice this every time I fly over the Valley: somehow you can sense something is going on. Obviously you can sense prosperity in how well kept a place looks. But there are different kinds of prosperity. Silicon Valley doesn't look like Boston, or New York, or LA, or DC. I tried asking myself what word I'd use to describe the feeling the Valley radiated, and the word that came to mind was optimism."

Here's to Steve, and his relentless optimism. Here's to the next big idea and the next person who changes the world like he did.

sharmajai

2011-10-05
A very sad day for humanity.

puredemo

2011-10-05
My first computer was an Apple IIE. My favorite computer is the one I'm on now, a 13" Macbook Air.

RIP Steve, thank you.

mikeryan

2011-10-05
Thanks Steve.

josephcooney

2011-10-05
Even if you're not a fan, you can't deny that Steve (through apple) raised the state of the art in industrial and visual design, and user experience with apple products. Your nice Android phone, the books you can buy seamlessly on your kindle and the slick new UI of Windows 8 all owe a small part of their awesomeness to Steve Jobs.

mwill

2011-10-05
He stood down from Apple less than 2 months ago, I wonder if he had any idea how close he was cutting it.

No matter how you slice it, the man loved what he did, and he did it brilliantly. The amount of people who use a device designed under his watch every single day of their lives is utterly astounding, through his work, he connected with hundreds of millions of people, and changed the game of consumer electronics numerous times.

I hope I can have a even a small sliver of his passion, commitment, and vision in my own life.

vaksel

2011-10-05
happened way too soon, sure he was sick, but you'd think with all the resources under his disposable he'd be able to hang on for at least a couple of years...as it is it happened almost overnight

BadiPod

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs embodies everything I strive to be.

MikeCapone

2011-10-05
He will be missed. Thank you for making a dent in the universe, Steve.

biot

2011-10-05
Fuck cancer for taking a great visionary from us.

darkmethod

2011-10-05
My first experience with a computer was on an Apple ][. And I'm typing this using my iMac over 30 years later. Good memories.

My life (childhood, education, and career) have been touched in tremendously powerful way by this man and his passion.

RIP Steve.

abstractwater

2011-10-05
I am truly surprised at how sad I am. Even if I disagreed on some of the decisions made by Apple (App Store review process, etc) he was to me the most inspirational man alive. What a devastating loss.

A part of me can't help to think that Apple is now just a "normal" company. But I hope his charisma and vision will stick and be strong enough to live on for many more decades in Cupertino.

rads

2011-10-05
I think I was twelve or thirteen when my parents bought me my own Mac. I didn't know this then, but, besides my parents and close friends, Steve Jobs was one of my most important role models. He made Apple unstoppable, but even during the hard times he had a dead set focus on making products people would really love, even if many others didn't like them. He was so passionate about his job; he loved it so much that it inspires me that one day I can start a business and have a job that I love, making things that other people love. RIP Steve.

steve8918

2011-10-05
The first computer I saw on a regular basis was my friend's AppleII clone that his dad built somehow. I distinctly remember the case was made out of wood. The kid was a jerk though, because he would play Wizardry, and would only let me sit beside him and watch, he would never let me play at all. Wizardry, Knight of Diamonds and Karateka were the games that I most distinctly remember.

dm8

2011-10-05
A true visionary, maverick and someone who had healthy disregard for rules and status quo. RIP Steve. You'll be sorely missed.

edw519

2011-10-05
"I want to put a ding in the universe."

Perhaps his biggest ding was inspiring so many of us to pursue our own dings.

R.I.P.

Sym3tri

2011-10-05
RIP

shriphani

2011-10-05
This was his decade - thanks for making the personal computer personal steve. RIP.

aforty

2011-10-05
My thoughts go out to his family and close friends. We all will miss Steve but few of us really knew him, his family and friends must be devastated this evening. Stay strong.

krishna2

2011-10-05
R.I.P Steve Jobs. Thank you for Super Breakout (game) and everything else!

And that's how I got inspired to get into computer science, learn programming, to build games like that or do cool stuff with computers.

grizzlylazer

2011-10-05
This changes everything.

RIP Steve Jobs, thanks for everything. You have been an inspiration to my entrepreneurial career.

Jun8

2011-10-05
Ahh, I just posted a comment about missing Steve after seeing the photos of the other guys announcing various stuff. I have never met him, or even saw him in person, but probably wouldn't have liked him personally; he was despotic and narcissistic. And people still debate various heavy-handed ways Apple deals with a lot aspects of their ecosystem.

Despite all this, sitting in my living room, I am totally devastated by these news! This is true greatness.

kunday

2011-10-05
Tech world will never be the same without Steve around. May he rest in Peace.

bond

2011-10-05
R.I.P. Condolences to his family.

artursapek

2011-10-05
Is the black bar that just appeared at the top of HN a symbol for Steve's passing?

dholowiski

2011-10-05
Rip Steve. My condolences to his family, friends coworkers and employees. We will miss you, I will miss you. I am an unabashed apple fanboy and today is a very sad day, and in retrospect yesterday was a very sad day. Can you imagine how Tim Cook felt up on that stage yesterday?

Duff

2011-10-05
Mr. Jobs will be well remembered. It's also sad in that his passing is among the first of a generation of pioneers in this crazy industry we all work in.

Best wishes to his family.

ericd

2011-10-05
My dad buying a Mac 128k and letting me run wild with it was probably one of the most influential events in my life. It taught me to read, it taught me math, and it kicked off a lifelong passion for computers and programming. It's amazing to me that they designed a computer that I didn't even have to know how to read to interact with. I can't believe I'm getting so emotional about a person I've never met, but I'm almost tearing up.

natemartin

2011-10-05
The news is hitting me harder than I expected. More than just the products he made, I feel that he directly effected my life. I wouldn't be where I am in my life today, certainly would have the job I have today, if it wasn't for the years I spent at Apple. And I wouldn't have worked there if Steve hadn't first created the company, then later on saved it.

RIP SJ. You certainly changed the world.

gord

2011-10-05
sadness.. Steve Jobs built beautiful useful things. This solid alu keyboard with rounded corners tells a story of someone who cared.

guimarin

2011-10-05
Personally inspired me to get into computing when I was a young child. He will be sorely missed.

kylek

2011-10-05
An Insanely Great loss. :(

mixmax

2011-10-05
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

mitultiwari

2011-10-05
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” -- Steve Jobs. RIP.

erreon

2011-10-05
Sad news about Steve Jobs, but I'm glad he's through the pain he must have been in. RIP

elmcitylabs

2011-10-05
Well said by Tim Cook: "No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much." RIP Steve

azulum

2011-10-05

lyime

2011-10-05
It is amazing to see that there are millions of other people that care about same person as much as I do.

kennethologist

2011-10-05
Good but never forgotten! The spirit of Steve Jobs will live on in each of our minds and hearts born and unborn. Steve Jobs lives in every product apple has and will ever create.

robert_nsu

2011-10-05
RIP Steve Jobs

mantas

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs was my idol since I knew who he is and what Apple is. He showed me it's possible to live one's dream and that it's ok to follow your heart. And that it's the only way to be happy and bring happiness to others. Furthermore, his products showed me that it's possible to create easy to use and beautiful software.

And that's what I ended up trying to do.. Thank you Steve and rest in peace.

I'll do my best to stay hungry, stay foolish.

tsycho

2011-10-05
I don't know what to say. Even if this was expected at some point, I feel really sad.....wish there were more people around me whom I could share this with....but no one seems to care as much.

quizbiz

2011-10-05
As General Electric innovates well beyond Thomas Edison, I look forward to watching Apple continue to push society forward. Steve Jobs will in some ways live on through the Apple brand, as a symbol for so many things that resonate so strongly, I can't even express it.

spudlyo

2011-10-05
I'm deeply and unexpectedly saddened by the news. Recently while taking a cab from SFO into the city I monitored our progress on the iPhone maps app, and had a profound feeling that I was living in the future I had dreamed about as a kid. Thank you Steve.

darksaga

2011-10-05
Wow - what a day. A tweet by CBSNEws says it was wrong when someone tweeted he had died, then I scramble for hours trying to figure out if it was real, and now it has been confirmed by Apple.

When I read the news, it really felt like he was hanging on until he knew his company was in good hands and he could pass on. Just an incredible human being in every aspect. He will be sorely missed.

m0wfo

2011-10-05
Apple was born out of obsession and makes some of the finest hardware around, running BSD with a touch of class that is unrivalled. But as my granny would say, there are no pockets in a shroud... poor Steve.

It's nice to have a sexy laptop, but life's just too damn short.

nirav

2011-10-05
R.I.P. Steve, You inspired many of us to rise above and beyond what we would have been otherwise...

bane

2011-10-05
The beginning of the end of the wave of computing that transformed society like no invention since iron and the printing press. Steve Jobs was absolutely on the forefront of that revolution and will be greatly missed. Hats off to you Mr. Jobs, hats off.

mml

2011-10-05
I told my daughter a great man died today.

sbochins

2011-10-05
Did the site layout and color scheme change because Jobs died? Or was this planned earlier?

ww520

2011-10-05
This is truly sad. Steve Jobs is like an iconic representation of our computing generation. In some way his passing away signifies the diminishing of our generation. Sigh.

sabat

2011-10-05
I keep waiting to hear from Woz. I think we in the Nerd World need to hear from Woz tonight.

WiseWeasel

2011-10-05
I grew up on Macs (starting with a IIcx in the late 80s) and bleed in six colors; this news is extremely hard for me to take.

Ultimately, this adds a sense of urgency to my own efforts to start a company and help bring a piece of the future to fruition, as I can no longer count on Steve to get us there.

Thank you Steve, for your vision, good taste, boundless drive and the inspiration you have given me and countless others. You will be sorely missed. :.(

aresant

2011-10-05
Even the .png name on Apple's site is appropriate:

http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png

Here's to you Steve, thank you for the inspiration over my lifetime.

guzzul

2011-10-05
iPhone 4S = iPhone 4Steve

hackerbob

2011-10-05
I don't even know what to type. I'm just simply sad.

emp_

2011-10-05
I'm late in the thread but just want to wish the best to his family, they helped make him what he represented.

denisonwright

2011-10-05

dhughes

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs was quite the guy, everyone had their opinion of him but he ignored the critics and kept his dream going.

rooshdi

2011-10-05
"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."

Thank you Steve, RIP

ltamake

2011-10-05
I just realised something. Steve won't ever see the new Apple building in Cupertino (the "spaceship" one). :'(

f7u12

2011-10-05
I hate Apple, but I'm not going to lie, I'm teary-eyed right now reading all this. I can certainly see from the comments how much he has inspired everyone, and for that I am grateful. Thanks Steve.

sharmajai

2011-10-05
I have never met Steve Jobs in person, yet I am deeply saddened by this news, this does not happen very often.

Thank you Steve for being an inspiration in our lives and making the world a better place. You will be missed forever. Rest in peace.

My condoloences to your family.

steve19

2011-10-05
I am sad. Sad for Steve, sad for Steve's family, sad for how he could have changed the world if he lived another 50 years and also sad, selfishly maybe, that I will never have the opportunity to meet him.

RIP Steve, you inspired us and we loved you for it.

vsl2

2011-10-05
A man who built possibly the most successful company in the world (not to mention what I believe is the best movie studio in the world). So sad that he died so young...

larrys

2011-10-05
Having written my first (if you want to call it that) program on a ASR-33 Teletype and remembering back when computers were not only expensive but certainly not mainstream (and not cool to the masses anyway) it's amazing what Jobs and Apple were able to do in the last decade. Who would ever think that this "thing" that some of us had so much fun with back then would be so accepted and talked about by everyone today. That there would be so much adulation for someone, actually anyone, in this industry? If you're not old enough to remember the way it was back many years ago we're really living in a special time right now. And Steve is certainly the reason for much of that.

Killah911

2011-10-05
RIP Steve, I don't know weather to feel sad for the loss of one of the greatest innovators of our time or to feel happy about seeing the example of a life well lived. I'm sure yiu sill continue to inspire us and even many after we have passed on.

marknutter

2011-10-05
That every single story on the hacker news front page is a Steve Jobs related link speaks volumes.

GotToStartup

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs inspired me on so many levels. Whenever I need a boost I find myself watching one of his incredibly powerful talks, oozing with inspiration. The man accomplished more in an hour than most will their entire lives. This is a hard loss for our entire industry.

jasim

2011-10-05
The hard thing to digest is that Steve never had any peers. This is one huge world, with millions using consumer technology. But there is no one else from which to expect the level of innovation Steve Jobs could do. There is a vacuum.

juliano_q

2011-10-05
Every single link at HN frontpage is about Jobs passage atm. It may looks obvious, but look at the importance of the guy between hackers. RIP.

sort3d

2011-10-05
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

dasil003

2011-10-05
Art and computers are my two passions. No one did more to unite them than Steve Jobs. A great man.

alexwolfe

2011-10-05
I think it was surprising for many of us how emotional this loss was. There were moments I literally couldn't/wouldn't believe this was happening. Amazing how many people he touched. RIP Steve, we truly miss you.

anand_nalya

2011-10-05
RIP Steve.

pullo

2011-10-05
terribly sad news! what wonders he could have created if had lived for another decade..I am grateful to you Steve.

jasontan

2011-10-05
He built the iCloud so he could have a place to rest in peace. Thanks, Steve

jfb

2011-10-05
I never really met him (thanked him once in person for the shuttle service), but I'm glad that he got an extraordinary second chance -- by all accounts, he wasted not a second of it. My God rest his immortal soul.

jayfuerstenberg

2011-10-05
It's sad that it takes the death of a man like Steve Jobs to make the rest of us realize that we're not living our lives to the fullest.

macak

2011-10-05
would like to point out every article in the top 30 is on steve. have a jpg too if someone can host. picasa is being lame.

macak

2011-10-05
won't be drinking an sugared-water today. Thanks, Steve.

keveman

2011-10-05
As engineers and logicians, we almost always ask, how? But this is one of the times that I want to ask, why? :'(

chunky1994

2011-10-05
Finally shakespeare has his answer, here came a man greater than Ceaser, when comes another Steve Jobs? RIP Steve, you're memory will never die.

nrbafna

2011-10-05
Black band on above the links on HN, a pay of respect to Steve Jobs?

anishk123

2011-10-05
RIP Steve

arc_of_descent

2011-10-05
As with most, I'm pleasantly surprised by the emotions in me related to Steve Jobs' death. I've only ever used an iPod. I guess this is testament to the person he was. Screw the tech stuff.

ojbyrne

2011-10-05
Someone I knew said a while back "No tech company has ever come back from decline." I immediately thought of (what I feel is now the canonical counterexample) Apple. So many tech companies, and CEOs who have never been acquainted with failure, and have arrogance that's mostly a result of being in the right place and the right time.

And one who was fired, watched his company driven right to the precipice, and brought it back.

The arc of a hero.

August 6, 1997. Greatness doesn't happen at the top but at the bottom: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-202143.html

littlegiantcap

2011-10-05
I know there may not be many Catholics on this board, but just in case. In nómine Patris et Fílii et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

happypeter

2011-10-05
This means a lot to me

"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. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and 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. So keep looking. Don't settle."

June 12th 2005 Stanford commencement speech

paraschopra

2011-10-05
Steve, you are going to be missed terribly! :(

pbreit

2011-10-05
The saddest thing is to think what kind of further impact Steve could have had over the next 20, 30 or 40 years.

What a remarkable career and life. You have inspired millions (billions?) and will truly be missed.

gbsi

2011-10-05
I never knew the man, but somehow he always knew what I wanted. An incredible leader and source of inspiration. Stay hungry, stay foolish.

sakibanda1

2011-10-05
Its very sad to loose him so early. We should move in the paths he has shown us. May his soul rest in peace.

wvs

2011-10-05
Later, Steve. May your vision live on.

revorad

2011-10-05
Steve, thanks for the dent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-i-yv-Mz8

thought_alarm

2011-10-05

patrickk

2011-10-05
I'm employed right now because of Steve Jobs incredible vision (iOS developer). I might not have work in this economy right now if it weren't for Steve.

RIP.

pyUser

2011-10-05
Didn't know it was possible to feel so sad by the death of non-family/friend. RIP Steve. Am lucky to have lived in your era.

taphangum

2011-10-05
I'm surprised by how emotional i am about this. RIP Steve.

umfana

2011-10-05
R.I.P.

revorad

2011-10-05
I just posted this on my blog, thought I'll share here -

The most important lesson from Steve Jobs

Don't be afraid to be wrong.

It is sad that the first time I write about Steve Jobs is when he's passed away.

I've never owned an Apple product. So, my love and respect for Steve is entirely based on the way he lived his life.

I've always believed that one must do exactly what one loves. Life's too short to waste doing other stuff. What for, anyway? Money? Power? They pale in comparison to the electric feeling of creating something new, something you dreamed up.

Let people tell you you're crazy. You will probably fail. That's ok.

Steve failed a lot. But, what kept him going?

He wasn't afraid to be wrong.

Don't be afraid to be wrong. Make that dent.

http://giniji.com/hrishi/stevejobs.html

RichardVanStark

2011-10-05
RIP Steve.

I think we need eat an delicious apple today in memory of Steve Jobs.

pknerd

2011-10-05
I never met Steve. I even never got into Silicon Valley or US, Being a non American I could only touch and feel Steve by using his products.

It is easy to love role models but damn difficult to follow them, Today I promise myself that I'll try to follow lessons taught by Steve Jobs. Thank you Sir for giving human side to technology.

Tycho

2011-10-05
One of the best people ever.

Udo

2011-10-05
In the face of all that he has achieved in his short life, the thing that saddens me most is he won't get to see all the cool technologies and gizmos we'll have in the future. He laid the ground work for a large part of this future, it's so sad that he won't be there to witness (or shape) it.

mlok

2011-10-05
RIP Steve Jobs. He's been a great inspiration for me. Making tech simply work in the hands of human beings.

Think different.

revorad

2011-10-05
The final page from an Apple business plan in 1981: http://twitpic.com/6vx2cn

seanl

2011-10-05
Some realities can't be distorted. RIP.

richardofyork

2011-10-05
May your soul continue to create beautiful things in heaven.

You have done a great deal for humanity, and for that we are very grateful for your time on earth. You represented the best of human intellect and human drive for perfection. We are inherently imperfect as humans, but you have proven, with fantastic flair and awe, that humans can attain perfection. Perfection is no longer a concept, it is embodied in the iPad, the iPhone, the MAC OSX, the iPod, the MAC Book Pro, and all the ingenious, useful, monumental products you have introduced to our world.

We stand proud as humans because of you and the few other men and women who have stood strong and lead with courage and change our world for the better. For Ever!

My condolences to your family, your fans, your friends, and your colleagues.

incub8or

2011-10-05
Sad, sad day.

Symmetry

2011-10-05
Some people have muses that subtly guide them their entire life. Other people have furious muses that seize them by the scruff of the neck and demand their full attention until a work is completed through spasmodic effort.

Steve Jobs seemed to have been possessed by the second type of muse, but one that never let go but just kept driving him. Even if some of use used few Apple products, Steve had a vision and always kept demonstrating that more was possible, that things could be better than they had been.

He'll be missed.

jpastika

2011-10-05
I'm guessing the black bar on top of the HN menu is for Steve Jobs. Apple is the most incredible comeback story of my lifetime. Under Jobs, Apple's stock went from $10 to $400. His dedication to the user experience and unwavering commitment to quality are his traits I most admire and desire to emulate. Some would say that he didn't get to enjoy his success after conquering the business world, but I believe he enjoyed every moment of the pursuit. RIP Mr. Jobs.

ossama-web

2011-10-05
RIP Steve Jobs, we hope see some creative and inspiring people like him in the future.

jts

2011-10-05
Thanks, Steve. You put a dent in my universe.

toblender

2011-10-05
Make everyday your masterpiece.

BillPosters

2011-10-05
I mostly avoid Macs. I prefer PC. But I dig the iPhone despite the various lock-down restrictions. I moved on to an android phone, and for the most part liked the new freedoms the android offered, but it was a step down in user interface design, general UX and is less "fun to use".

I'm grateful that Steve invested in Pixar. Those animations are inspiring.

So for me it's iPhone + Pixar. The rest, with respect, is just normal computer business - iMacs and so on. That is, build them cheap in China, sell them expensive in fancy stores with marble floors and huge glass windows. Not a lot going on there except manufacturing and clever business, and half-decent product design including the OS if you're a fan of that style of computer.

But for sure, it's sad he died young and he was obviously a hero to many. I liked his speech to the uni students, he seemed to have a calm outlook and interest in life and death and everything in between.

achompas

2011-10-05
I wanted to post this great anecdote from Metafilter:

Here’s a short tale of mine when I worked at Apple:

One sunny autumn day, Steve (he was always Steve) was walking across Apple’s campus with a reporter toward Caffe Macs. I was walking a few feet behind, enough to hear the reporter asking about Steve’s family. As we approached the entrance, Steve stopped and opened the door for an employee carrying trays of food outside. The employee never looked up but said "Thanks." "Sure," Steve replied. Just then, at least two dozen people followed the employee out. Because of where the reporter was standing, none of the employees (as far as I could tell) noticed who was holding the door for them. Steve continued holding that door, talking to the reporter, until I came up and offered to take his place as doorman. "Thanks," he said. "Sure," I replied. He smiled and invited the reporter inside.

That’s it.

Whatever else you may read about Steve, whatever else happens in his life or to Apple or to the world of computing, know that he opened doors for people.

R.I.P. Steve. We're all better off thanks to your time on the planet.

(credit to kawika, link below)

http://www.metafilter.com/108093/Steve-Jobs-RIP#3958050

navs

2011-10-05
One of my dreams was to demo a product in front of Steve Jobs and receive his approval. That'll never be but the mere fact that a man can make me strive for success without ever having met him is a testament to his influence.

beaker

2011-10-05
The first time I heard the word "icon" was when I was introduced to the new Macintosh 128k as a young child. Seems very appropriate now. Steve Jobs, Icon. RIP.

Ulankgz

2011-10-05
R.I.P. Steve. I respect him for that despite all the difficulties he was doing what he wanted in his life and enjoyed it. He achieved his goal - to change the world.

andrewneilcrump

2011-10-05
I heard this news very late last night (BST) and I didn't sleep. Absolutely gutted that we have lost such an inspiration. His 2005 Stanford inspired to me to go on a journey that makes me smile every day. A true founder of the modern world.

martinkallstrom

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs held the world up to his standards. Maybe that's why we are at such a loss now when he's gone.

paul9290

2011-10-05
What a life; legacy left. Thank you and rest in peace!

dhughes

2011-10-05
You know how some sick people especially older people seem to be able to hold on until after a big event such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, whatever to them is important.

Steve died a day after the launch of the iPhone 4S do you think he hung on until then just from sheer willpower alone?

jason_tko

2011-10-05
Even the next day, I'm still having trouble coming to grips with this.

This affected me far more than I could have expected. Even though I never once met Steve in person, I'm profoundly affected in so many ways by his clarity of vision, drive, steadfast beliefs, and in the end, the way he dealt with his mortality.

A sad, sad day.

jimqin

2011-10-05
After a day of reflection of the tragic news, I think we should all have a sense of optimism.

http://www.jimqin.com/?p=102

sgt

2011-10-05
I made a little tribute video to Steve Jobs, in his memory. I submitted it to HN. It's actually specifically made for you guys. http://news.ycombinator.net/item?id=3081923

purak

2011-10-05
R.I.P Steve

thomasfl

2011-10-05
Steve Jobs deserved an upvote record on hacker news.

RobertKohr

2011-10-05
Computer technology tends to become a commodity. You took it and shaped it into art. You gave a machine a soul. You set the bar high, and it was a bar that most people left sitting on the ground.

qubot

2011-10-05
Jobs lived a life that he will be remembered for, which is a luxury other computing pioneers I could name (Eckert, Mauchley) did not get to enjoy. I am happy for Jobs in this respect, since it leaves a feeling of "completeness" that came with his death.

However, I would feel more emotionally impacted if Jobs was less egocentric. His world was just that: His world. If something did not meet his vision, he was ready to talk down to it. Even if he was right, his attitude and politics made it difficult for me to really warm up to him.

All I can say is that I wish his family and friends a good life after their tragedy. Regardless of what I think, they knew a man they will never forget.

Create

2011-10-05
Report of Hongkong-based NGO SACOM about working conditions at the world’s leading electronics manufacturer, 2011_09_24:

http://www.ppp.ch/fileadmin/francais/Politique_developpement...

madhancr

2011-10-05
RIP Steve. My career got a boost because of technology you created. I wonder what you would have created if you had lived another 10 or 20 years

DiabloD3

2011-10-05
After 4 days, this has finally dropped off the front page.

You did good, HN.

earplug

2011-10-05
I find it sad to think that I cannot email sjobs@apple.com and hope for a reply any longer. What a strength he pushed onto this company...

sidwyn

2011-10-05
The site has changed to a trove of eulogies.