This is not the story we had in mind to publish today. In fact last night I was writing a piece on Apple's latest iPhone that debuted on October 4. Little did I know that the man who co-founded that company and changed the world with the touch of technology just passed away. We'll probably run that story next week.
I received an SMS early morning from my colleague saying, “Steve Jobs no more.” Like many others, I was very shocked.
We all knew that Jobs had been battling an unusual form of pancreatic cancer, and had received a liver transplant in 2009, but never thought he would leave us so early at the age of 56.
When Jobs stepped down as the CEO of Apple in August, he wrote in his letter of resignation: "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. Unfortunately, that day has come."
We knew he was ill, maybe he knew he wasn't going to live long, so he decided to put the company in the safer hands of Tim Cook, the present CEO of Apple.
Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and four children.
On October 4, CNN aired a documentary on Jobs; I learnt a lot from that show.
Jobs, one of the pioneers of Silicon Valley, who grew up there with his foster parents had founded Apple with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak. The two marketed what was considered the world's first personal computer, the Apple II.
He left the company in 1985 and went on to buy Pixar, the company behind some of the biggest animated hits in cinema history including Toy Story, Cars and Finding Nemo.
He returned to Apple 11 years later -- at a time when it was being written off by rivals. What followed was one of the most remarkable comebacks in business history.
Starting off with the colourful iMacs, Jobs transformed the personal computing experience. Then came the iPod, which revolutionised the music industry. Not to mention the iPhone that changed the way we think about phones and of course, last but not the least, the iPad.
"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," a statement paying tribute to Jobs from Apple said.
Industry leaders also echoed the same, not to forget the tsunami of tweets and facebook statuses.
Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft, tweeted, “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely.”
In a statement Gates also 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.”
US President Barak Obama said, Jobs was “brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world... talented enough to do it.”
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said, “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend … for showing that what you build can change the world.”
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop tweeted, “Steve's passion for simplicity and elegance leaves a legacy that will endure.”
Millions of Apple fans around the globe are also paying tribute to Jobs. Some are posting Facebook status with his quotes, some posting his photos on iPhones or iPads with candles.
From a company going bankrupt, Jobs brought Apple where it stands today. Apple was briefly the most valuable company in the world earlier this year. The company produces $65.2 billion a year in revenue, compared to $7.1 billion in its business year ending September 1997.
According to Guardian, Jobs leaves an estimated $8.3 billion, but he often dismissed others' interest in his wealth. "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 revolutionsed computing and changed the world, there aren't many who can do that. The world will miss him a lot.
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