Remembering Steve Jobs

Arthur | October 6th, 2011

President Barack Obama said he was “brave enough to think differently, bold enough to think he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who described himself as a “colleague, competitor and friend” 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.”

Google CEO Larry Page said, “He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it.”

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Today we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time.”

These were some of the comments on the death of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Jobs, 56, lost a long and courageous battle against pancreatic cancer on Wednesday, October 5.

The Silicon Valley icon changed the way we thought about personal computers, music and mobile phones, giving the world the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

“Once in a rare while, somebody comes along who doesn’t just raise the bar, they create a whole new standard,” said Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.

“You changed our lives, Steve,” said noted Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki. “You showed us there is a better way.”

Steve Jobs’ death provoked a huge and immediate flood response from every part of the world. Within minutes, Facebook and Twitter were overwhelmed with condolences and reflections on Jobs’ profound influence.

His health concerns caused Steve Jobs to step down from his duties at Apple in late August. 50PLUS.com tech correspondent Steve Dotto filed a story a few days ago, recalling his own experiences with Apple and his thoughts about the future of Apple without Steve Jobs. You can read his story here.

One of his most memorable talks Steve Jobs delivered was his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, the importance of finding work you love and how a sense of his mortality had become a major motivator in his life.

“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. “

Watch the full talk here:

Apple has set up a special email address — [email protected] — for those who want to send in their condolences and thoughts. We welcome you to share your thoughts in the comments below.