Steve Jobs dies at 56
By Alexandra Heilbron on October 6, 2011 | 6 Comments
Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple, died peacefully at 56 of pancreatic cancer yesterday after battling the disease since 2004. A college dropout, Jobs started Apple in 1976 with his high school friend Steve Wozniak. They had a hit with the Apple II computer, and quickly became a household name. By age 25, Jobs was estimated to be worth $100 million. However, the Apple III sold poorly and following a number of setbacks and a conflict with CEO John Sculley for control of the company, Jobs was forced out. He would later say: “I didn’t see it then, but getting fired from Apple was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
At the time, he was devastated, but after a few months of contemplating what his next step would be, he started NeXT Computer, a computer platform development company, but despite its impressive computing power, the NeXT Cube was a commercial failure. Jobs then bought Pixar from George Lucas for $10 million. At first, the motion picture animation company struggled, but that changed in 1995 with Toy Story. It was hugely successful and Jobs followed it up with A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2. He sold Pixar to The Walt Disney Co. for $7.4 billion in stock plus a seat on Disney’s board and 138 million shares of stock. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1997 Jobs returned to the company he’d founded and reorganized Apple, which was posting huge losses. It once again became a profit-making enterprise.
Apple reached new heights in 2001, when the iPod was launched. The iPhone followed in 2007, and in 2010 the highly anticipated iPad was released. That year, Jobs was ranked the 42nd-richest person in the United States, with a net worth of over US $6 billion. Yesterday, Apple released a brief statement that read: “We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. 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.” U.S. President Barack Obama said: “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 co-founder Bill Gates, who knew Jobs for more than 30 years, released the following statement: “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. I will miss Steve immensely.”
During Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, he told the students: “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.”
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6 billions won’t save your life, but he had a good one, however short.
A true Legend and Icon in the technical world. R.I.P Steve Jobs
Everyone has setbacks. (Example MacIntosh III), but his visions were not recognized at the time and it’s amazing how he landed not only on his feet, but on top of a mountain (of money too). He was a futurist. He saw where markets were going (computer animation) and the MP3’s and touch screen high power phones (mini hand-held computers really) so in actuality he was ahead of his time. Like people of Columbus’ time who truly didn’t believe the vision of world being round, Steve Job’s did believe the world could take leaps of technological advancements and forced people to accept that the world would change. Right place, right time but for his short time.
Innovator and visionary will be missed. Let’s see who will step up now??
Pancreatic cancer’s pretty serious as far as cancers go; the 1 and 5 year survival rates are 25% and 6%. Steve Jobs lived 7 years.
I think this quote – from blade runner – sums up Steve Jobs best.
“The light that burns twice as bright burns for half as long – and you have burned so very, very brightly”
This is very distressing for people who have been affected by Steve Jobs. I send my prayers to Steve’s family and friends. R.I.P Steve Jobs, you will be missed
Except not we have to deal with some uoknnwn, crap actress who is going to end up playing the role Ronan is talking about. A role that would take a year to to film is just not going to magically disappear.