"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius and the world has lost an amazing human being," Apple said. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives."
What a great loses to technology as Steve Jobs bow to the battle against pancreatic cancer. To fans of Apple from America to Australia gather to pay tribute to a man who transformed the phone, music and computing industry.
What a short and eventful life. The world will not forget Jobs in a hurry.
Apple co-founder and former chief executive Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56.
The pioneering businessman, who was the mind behind the revolutionary iPhone and iPad devices, had been battling pancreatic cancer.
He stepped down from his post as Apple's chief executive in August saying he could no longer handle the job due to his illness.
Mr Jobs, who lived in Silicone Valley, California, died on Wednesday surrounded by his family. Apple said it was "deeply saddened" by the news.
A company spokesman said: "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.
"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
A statement released by his family added: "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness."
The father-of-four started Apple Computer with high school friend Steve Wozniak in his garage in 1976 but was forced out a decade later. He returned in the mid-1990s and transformed Apple into one of the world's most powerful companies.
Just two months ago the frail-looking businessman resigned as the company's CEO due to his health, but said he would continue to play a leadership role. He was replaced by Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, and took the role of chairman of the company's board.
Mr Jobs, described by many as an industry oracle who revolutionised computing, survived pancreatic cancer in 2004 before receiving a liver transplant in 2009. He had taken three spells of leave over the past several years, with the most recent spell in January.
Steve Jobs works and words live with us forever, reading through some of his speeches and quotes I could tell he was a man deep and truly great. Greatness is from the heart, communicated in words, demonstrated in deeds. A tireless worker and visionary, you have stamp your stamped your feet on the sound of time and heart of men forever.
I found his words enriching, kindly read:
COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 2005
"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.''
"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.''
"Stay hungry, stay foolish."
"Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.''
"And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.''
INTERVIEW WITH FORTUNE MAGAZINE, 2000
"In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.''
"My position coming back to Apple was that our industry was in a coma. It reminded me of Detroit in the '70s, when American cars were boats on wheels.''
INTERVIEW WITH WIRED, 1996
"These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I'm not downplaying that. But it's a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light - that it's going to change everything. Things don't have to change the world to be important.''
INTERVIEW WITH PLAYBOY MAGAZINE, 1985
"I don't think I've ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn't be ours anymore. When we finally presented it at the shareholders' meeting, everyone in the auditorium stood up and gave it a 5-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe that we'd actually finished it. Everyone started crying.''
COMMENT TO NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER WHO ASKED ABOUT JOBS' HEALTH, 2008
"You think I'm an arrogant [expletive] who thinks he's above the law, and I think you're a slime bucket who gets most of his facts wrong.''
INTERVIEW WITH WIRED, 1996
"These technologies can make life easier; can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I'm not downplaying that. But it's a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light - that it's going to change everything. Things don't have to change the world to be important.''
INTERVIEW WITH FORTUNE, 2008
"We don't get a chance to do that many things, and everyone should be really excellent. Because this is our life."
INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES, 2003
"Design is not just what it looks like. Design is how it works."
INTERVIEW WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1993
"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."
INTERVIEW WITH INC MAGAZINE, 1989
"You can't just ask the customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.
Steve Jobs died 5th October 2011.
Sources: MSN and Telegraph.
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