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.

This makes me really really sad deep inside. What an incredible journey.

Yah, my first program was done in an Apple ][+. My friend and I grew up programming on his various Apple machines (I had a Commodore 64).For the past 10 years I've made a living developing on all kinds of Macs. Couldn't imagine work without them.Best of all, I loved watching Steve's keynotes. No one can distort reality the way he did.I didn't even know him, but I feel like I'll miss knowing he's there, ready to present:"one more thing.."

My first was an Apple IIe at age 12.  I was thinking the same thing.

Mine was an Apple IIe, and likewise it really opened my eyes to the world of computing and gave me a life long passion for technology.I thank him for that as well.

Given that it takes years for a big thing to pass through the dev cycle and come to market, you're still going to see some things that were up his sleeve.

I'm another dev whose first computer was an apple IIgs. I don't know if I'd be a dev today if I hadn't spent far too many hours poking around in basic typing in games from magazine, modifying them, and writing my own.For purely selfish reasons -- what could Steve have imagined next? -- he passed far too soon.

I can see that I am not the only one whose life was changed by those early experiences with the Apple ecosystem. From my own 30-year-old memories:On any given afternoon around 1981-1982, the geeks at my middle school could all be found gathered around a dozen Apple II+ and Apple IIe machines in the computer room. The British instructor who had set them up and taught us code fundamentals really encouraged us to explore and experiment (and fought a losing battle to keep us from bringing our game floppies into the room).

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

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.

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] <a href="http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jobs-anecdotes-apples-little-known-facts/" rel="nofollow">http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jo...</a>

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.

I've become convinced that cancer is among the elite series of diseases that are, in many cases, just how people die, meaning that perhaps in many instances the medical term for "dying" is "cancer". I think it is naive to ever think we'll have a general cure, especially since "cancer" covers such a broad range of specific issues.I understand that people die in other ways too, of course, but I think cancer is a common agent that is just how dying works. It's like getting gray hairs -- you can do things to try and stop or cover it up (and some people will get old without much graying), people can fantasize about a fountain of youth that will keep your body at age 21 forever, but the reality is that graying is just part of aging and nothing is going to change that despite any realistic effort that humans can put in. Cancer is part of dying for many, many people. It's not going to go away despite our best efforts to mitigate its effects or eradicate it entirely.I once read the supposed confession of a medical research assistant that "cancer" as a general thing is not curable but they keep the myth alive because "cure cancer" makes a really decent slogan.

And even having billions of dollars and access to any medicine and any doctor can't save you. Fuck cancer.

Thank you very much for posting the link to this book. I had never heard of it before and after seeing your comment I immediately read some reviews, started reading the sample chapter, bought the book, and am now 3 chapters in. An amazing read, and as you state also very sobering.

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.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q66B5C" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q66B5C</a>

To the very end. That's incredible and sad. I don't know him personally, but knowing his biography, the kind of person he was and the impact he has on my daily life, man... i feel like having lost a close relative. Sad... :( May he rest in peace, for he have inspired us.

He definitely loved what he did.  He stuck with it until the end.  RIP Steve.

I knew after he stepped down it wouldn't be long. Guys like that don't stay still, they're too busy making a dent in the universe.Not sure about anyone else, but the quote above does a lot for me, no matter how many times I've reread it.

Steve's Most Enduring Legacy: inspiring generations of entrepreneurs, artists, etc. to "think different".Right now, theres someone working on his own startup in their garage because he was inspired by Steve Jobs.

i wanted to link to that speech as well.while the tech scene will miss him a lot, my thoughts go to his family who'll miss him most.

I love that speech, back in the early 80s he spoke to the Academy of Achievement which was also great to listen too:
<a href="http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/brochure/p3.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/brochure/p3.html</a> (search for steve jobs)

"Quem Metui Moritura"AEneid, iv. 604.What need have I to fear--so soon to die?
Let me work on, not watch and wait in dread:
What will it matter, when that I am dead
That they bore hate or love that near me lie?
'Tis but a lifetime, and the end is nigh
At best or worst. Let me lift up my head
And firmly, as with inner courage, tread
Mine own appointed way on mandates high.
Pain could but bring from all its evil store,
The close of pain: hate's venom could but kill;
Repulse, defeat, desertion, could no more,
Let me have lived my life, not cowered until
The unhindered and unchastened hour was here.
So soon--what is there now for me to fear?-- Edward Rowland Sill

Trafalgar is not far from the Mediterranean, but it's in the Atlantic,

"Just over two centuries ago, in 1805, it took news of the Battle of Trafalgar over a fortnight to reach London from the Mediterranean. The fact that, in 2011, the speed with which the news of Steve Jobs's death circled the globe and reached millions could be measured in seconds is a profound testimony to the connective power of the new world that he helped to create." ~ Alastair Roberts

My absolute favorite line of that entire speech is the very last, "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." I live by it and will continue to do so. What an iconic brilliant genius the world has lost.

Love what you do. Do what you love.The dots will connect one day. Even if others don't believe you, because you will die one day anyway.It's inspirational and great.

I just re-watched that speech and it was enough to make me realize I'm not foolish enough.  Jobs lived more than many people who reach age 70 because of this foolishness.

Now I realise why this news is so sad to me.  You see, I watched that speech at a time when I didn't know what to do with my life and career.  He's the one who inspired me to finally quit my job and do the "foolish" thing.  It's not about the products he created, it's the person he was.

I don't normally post here.  However, this speech is one of an inspiration for me to do the 'foolish' things in life.

Steve and his team have changed the way we live. Making us all introspect on our lives work..is probably his second monumental contribution...

"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 speechText: <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html" rel="nofollow">http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html</a>Video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc</a>

My first computer was an Apple IIc, on which I taught myself BASIC (which provided many memorable minor revelations). Thanks for your efforts Steve Jobs.

I was introduced to an Apple ][ at about exactly the same time as you.  It changed my life forever as well.

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.

As an entrepreneur, he founded the now largest company on the planet, founded a company that sold for $400m, and took Pixar from almost nothing to a $7bn acquisition by Disney.As an inventor, he's the main name (though with significant help and industrial design by others) behind the iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone - all dominant leaders in their respective sectors.It's curious that you'd put Larry Ellison's achievements above all of that.

No, he won't.  And I think you know that if you stop and think about it.  Bill or Larry or Sam or people like that fit that category.  However, Steve Jobs might have been the only one who gave a %!&#38;#% about his products: what they did, how they worked and what people could do with them.

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

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.

This wasn't the "One more thing..." that I wanted.

Thanks Steve, thanks for your inspiration. You pushed the human race forward.

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.

Steve was rewarded proportionately for his contribution to the world. He (and Apple) changed millions of lives, and indirectly influenced the rest of our lives. A byproduct of his actions were his net worth.

If you run out of ideas, you start to help the world in the easiest way - by giving away your money.Jobs hadn't run out of ideas though.

Really?  Do you know what his salary was at Apple as CEO?  Do you know how much money the man just through away by letting stock options expire?  It seems to me that once he had a certain amount he really didn't care about money at all anymore.

Would have been much more impressive if he'd proven that being rich while alive didn't matter to him.Honestly, how many people care about how much is in their bank account after they die? Probably not very many.Plenty chase riches while they're alive, however. And good old Steve was no exception.

"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: <a href="http://instagr.am/p/NPa4o/" rel="nofollow">http://instagr.am/p/NPa4o/</a>

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.

There's no referral code in the link. The `ref` parameter in Amazon URLs is something internal. Amazon referral IDs get passed in the `tag` parameter.

Err....I don't even have an affiliate account.That link was NOT an affiliate link.How about checking before slandering?

It's a bit insensitive to use your referral code for that amazon link if you ask me. Here's a non-affiliate link for everyone interested:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/14516485...</a>

I know...I do remember that the release date was pushed up too...which makes me think it might have been his 'last stroke of genius'.Talk about consistently having the right timing in almost everything he does.

I believe Walter Isaacson/his publisher moved up the date because the manuscript was simply done early, not at Steve's request.Also, it was most likely moved up to sell more during the holiday quarter.From what little information has been released about the book, Steve was just about as hands-off as you can be (no request to read it before publishing, no demands about off-limits topics, etc.).The author also responded to speculation that the publication date had been moved up because of a rumored decline in Jobs' health. "It's actually not related to any decline," he said. "I turned most of the book in this past June. It's now all done and edited. The March 2012 date (or whatever date it was) was never a deeply-considered pubdate. Like the original cover design, it came about because the publisher wanted to put something in the database last spring."<a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/08/15/biography_of_apple_ceo_steve_jobs_to_arrive_in_november.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/08/15/biography_of_a...</a>

I think Steve Jobs was prepared for it. I remember reading that the book was originally due out in Spring of 2012. He changed the deadline 5-6 months earlier for Fall of 2011.

Walter Isascson had better be prepared for the amount of books he is about to sell - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#38;qid=1317859076&#38;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/14516485...</a>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.

<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero%20image" rel="nofollow">http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero%20image</a>

"hero" is a standard term for that kind of image size and position in print and on the web.

A very respectable tribute, right down to the img src.<a href="http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png" rel="nofollow">http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png</a>

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.

"Death is very likely the single best invention of Life."Quotes like this get me thinking back to my fascination reading about Cognitive Dissonance in Psych 101.

I agree. We all like to say "Life is short, we have to live it to the fullest" but do our actions really reflect that? Some of us have the ability to do more, yet are complacent and happy with the status quo. Others are not in any situation to do more. Just call bullshit on anyone that says this until he/she really walks the walk.

As amazing and wise and wonderful as this quote is... I doubt many people actually get the chance in life to do this. I know I am on the wrong website with this but once you look just a bit outside of silicon valley and a bit outside of the (comparatively very) rich western world, you start to realize: there are just very very few people who were or are ever as blessed as to not only be able to follow their heart but become so influential and important by doing so.This makes me just more sad. Or maybe I am just at a bad place in life.

"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

As soon as I saw the news I headed to HN to share in the moment.The site slowed to a crawl, pg kept things afloat by dialing back the number of stories on the front page, the black bar came out, and here we all are.

My wife understands, even if she could never fully Understand. But that's why we're parts of communities like this one. We all Understand.

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

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.

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.

I'm not sure there's a single story of the same magnitude. And that isn't sentimentality talking, I can't think of anything.

A very well earned right and credibility indeed. Very few turnaround stories in the tech industry that are of the magniture of Apple's.

As a poli sci major one could make a poli sci comment out of anything.

One could make an entire PoliSci dissertation out of your comment.

Here's a very well done video <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/video/66625228/" rel="nofollow">http://www.bloomberg.com/video/66625228/</a>

This difference, I suppose, is between someone bending your will to theirs, reducing you terribly in the process, and someone who sees you failing to deliver everything you're capable of, and pushing you (hard) to do what he thinks what you can.The former doesn't care about who you are. The latter cares deeply, and expresses in by placing genuine faith in you. Everything being said by the people who worked with him indicates that they feel humbled and honored by the experience. It's hard to get upset with someone's approach when you know in your bones that it got you to the top of your game.What people feel in response to that is love.[EDIT]
"He was dubbed a megalomaniac, but Steve Jobs often gambled on young, largely inexperienced talent to take Apple forward; Jony Ive and his team prove that such faith was spot on."

This. While I'd done a little scripting, I was never interested in working in software development. It made me think of boring/painful win32 programs. After I graduated college I skipped around through sales jobs I hated and was terrible at. And then I got an iOS device (2g iPod Touch) for my birthday, and I was suddenly very interested in programming. The way that device was so effortless to use, powerful (for its size), and fun captivated me. Within a year of receiving that that device I was roughly a third of the way through a CS degree (post baccalaureate), going to school part time and paying for it with my part time job (working at an Apple Store). I've been a paid professional developer for almost two years now, primarily working on iOS stuff. And I really like what I do. It sounds stupid, but I really don't know what I'd be doing now if I hadn't gotten that iPod Touch.Thanks Steve, I certainly feel like you've done something for me even though I've never met you.

we all in the back of our minds knew the time we had him in this world was limited and precious.I can't think of a better way to put this. I think it's fair to say that we benefitted from his life just as much if not more than he did.

"Without a computer that was an absolute joy to use, I would have never spent so many hours learning how to code and consequently now have the career opportunities that I do."That's what Commodore 64 did for me (I grew up with it), and that might be the reason that I'm not the least impressed by any of Apple's products. Furthermore, Apple's conduct -- patent litigations, DRM, "simple" user interfaces -- it all goes against the spirit of opennes and sharing in the "old days" when people shared their code and hacks as printouts in computer magazines.Steve Jobs may rest in peace, he did a lot. I got enormous respect for him when I learned that he basically saved Pixar, and that's what I will remember him for.Apple, the company, could disappear tomorrow and I wouldn't miss it the slightest.(I know I'll get downvoted by Apple fanboys, but so be it.)

Considering how apparent it was that Steve’s health was gravely bad and rapidly deteriorating, we all in the back of our minds knew the time we had him in this world was limited and precious. So it comes as a complete shock to me how upset I actually am by Steve’s passing.Even though most of us never knew him, we all feel as if we did know him very well; his inventions, complete labours of love, have become so central to how we live our lives. The profound impact his creations have had on us cannot make us feel any other way.I didn't go to college, and I remember having a shitty job back in the day, saving so hard to buy a PowerBook G4, but it was completely worth it because purchasing that machine literally changed my life. Without a computer that was an absolute joy to use, I would have never spent so many hours learning how to code and consequently now have the career opportunities that I do.I feel eternally indebted to Steve, despite having never met the man myself. By creating the wonderful tools he did for us to work with, I feel he is significantly responsible for the career I have today.To one of the few that can say ‘I changed the world’, thank you.Rest in peace Steve

What Apple is missing is a man whose vision for a product is exactly what the consumer wants....two years ahead of time (at least).

HN, why is this above steve's own quote about death?

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.

Well, he certainly had the drive when he started Apple. Based from what I read about him, it hasn't diminished until the day he died. I'm sure he could've kept it going for another 30.

Not to play devil's advocate, but you have to wonder if he'd have kept the same drive for so long if he knew he was going to have a full ~80 years?

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.

“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.

Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus. I literally purchased my first Apple product a couple of months ago with great skepticism; I am a frequent critic of iTunes, and Apple products in general. I always viewed Steve Jobs as someone who I admired for his success and vision, but no more than any other notable figure in the field. But I feel a poignant melancholy at the news... when I saw someone's comment pointing out that the filename for the image on Apple.com was "t_hero.png", I found myself almost moved to tears.Perhaps you really do never understand the gravity of losing something until you lose it.

Your comment really resonated with me.  I'm no Apple fanatic, but I too am far more saddened by this news than I would have believed. I wonder what else he would have come up with if he lived another 20 years? I'm sad I'll never get to find out.

Same here, except for the surprise.I've only ever owned two Apple products, but I am constantly inspired by Steve Jobs. No one else has had more of an impact on how I work as a designer and developer.And somehow it wasn't just because he was able to create brilliant products. He had such an authentic character, that it somehow humanized the incredible work his company did and made it seem approachable and noble.I will always be sad that I never got to meet him.

Do you know where and how to donate for cancer research?

Devastated. Forget hn it crashed twitter and slowed down Google plus.
Think about donating 10% of your next hardware purchase to charity, possibly pancreatic cancer research. Think about what Steve Jobs has done for your startup (both technology wise and inspiration wise)

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.

When I look at what he managed to accomplish before he turned 30, it makes me feel like a total loser. But it's also a great source of motivation.also, the Apple homepage really is beautiful in its simplicity. I hope they leave it like this for awhile.

Accomplished more in his 56 years of life than many people do in a full lifetime.Thank you for your vision, creativity and inspiration.

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.

He wasn't. The desktop market will be reduced to a small slice of technology before Apple has a chance to catch up. It won't matter.

"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

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.

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

Last year I had the great fortune of being able to ask Steve to clarify the first quote. He was very apologetic, but alas he couldn't recall what product he envisioned in 1995.

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, 1996The best ideas are the ones you have to force on people.

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.

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.

“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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

yeah, that's what's so crazy to me. Others would take a trip around the world or something. He was very devoted. Makes me think of that Dylan Thomas poem:"do not go gentle into that good night,
rage, rage against the dying of the light. "

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

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.

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. (;_;)

I noticed it too and assumed it was for Steve since Tim Cook came out initially.

I think it's more likely that he would have said, "I've barely begun."

I have this image of Steve watching the keynote on TV from his hospital bed, and then turning to his doctor and saying, “OK, I’m done here.”

I noticed that too. Look at the backs of the filled chairs, though – all reserved.

Whether this chair was for Steve or not, it felt very symbolic/struck a chord with me. I'm surprised at how sad this single photo made me feel. We all knew it was coming, but it still hit me in a way I didn't think it would.He shall be missed.I never met you, but you were an inspiration. Rest well, Steve.

Bob Mansfield, and Phil Schiller are both in that row. It's likely that it was reserved for Steve.

There is nothing "likely" about the compositions of a person fluent in storytelling through images. Such people don't spend their initial image, or its point of focus, cheaply.Steve insisted on subordinating technology to human purposes and narratives. It might be his most important lesson.

It just as likely was the seat of whoever was on stage at the time.

If you watched the iPhone keynote yesterday, you may have noticed this:<a href="http://i.imgur.com/BsIoS.png" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/BsIoS.png</a>This shot was shown for about 5 seconds right at the beginning of the recording. Front row, center. Reserved. Empty.

RIP Steve Jobs, one of the greatest visionaries of our times.

Yay Steve Jobs for making a dent in the universe. Inspiring.

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 

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

the world is a scarier place now.a moment of hush for mr. jobs.

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.

Well said - the only Apple product I've had are iPod's and I have no desire to use Macs, but Jobs did make a huge dent and shaped a lot of people all over the world. It's a sad day when a visionary like him passes.

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.

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.

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.

A truly sad day for humanity. Thank you so much Steve Jobs for giving us so much.

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

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.

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.

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.

That's really sad to think about. I hope he had the chance to appreciate the iPhone announcement yesterday, even though he couldn't make it.

&#62; He stood down from Apple less than 2 months ago, I wonder if he had any idea how close he was cutting it.Of course he did. I think he held onto this thing until the very last second. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual resignation wasn't a long-ago prepared statement sitting in his lawyer's drawer for years. End-stage liver disease also means a rapid mental decline, so I'm assuming they triggered the resignation as soon as he was irreversibly incapacitated.

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.

He kept working right up to the point where it was no longer physically possible. Almost anybody else would have left their company years ago.

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

Steve Jobs embodies everything I strive to be.

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

Fuck cancer for taking a great visionary from us.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

It was "ding" according to most sources that come up in Google
<a href="http://quotationsbook.com/quote/215/" rel="nofollow">http://quotationsbook.com/quote/215/</a>

The original was right, but I think it was dong.  Steve said "I want to put a dong in the universe."

Sorry to be pedantic, but it was dent.  "Do[n't] you want to make a dent in the universe?"

"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.

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

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.

Geez. I know it's not good to say anything bad about someone who died, but that plus other things he's done makes me think he's a real ----I hope Woz gets a similar level of recognition and mourning when he passes (decades into the future, hopefully)

Your inspiration might actually be Steve Wozniak. It was him that did Super Breakout, not Jobs."Maybe they had an inkling that he'd actually work on Breakout with Wozniak, who they already knew from his low chip PONG. As Allan later said "Jobs never did a lick of engineering in his life. He had me snowed. It took years before I figured out that he was getting Woz to 'come in the back door' and do all the work while he got the credit.""The original deadline was met after Wozniak did not sleep for four days straight. In the end 50 chips were removed from Jobs' original design. This equated to a US$5,000 bonus, which Jobs kept secret from Wozniak, instead only paying him $375."

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.

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

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.

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

It is. See <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078285" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078285</a>

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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

This is from the Think Different campaign (1997+): <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Different" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Different</a>I really shouldn't admit this but /cough circa 1997 I had abandoned Apple. I had a PC and Linux box at home and Unix terminal at school. I remember being impressed by this campaign and hopeful that Jobs would fix Apple. But I couldn't have imagined what Apple and Steve Jobs had in store for the world. What a remarkable recovery. Thanks Steve.

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.

“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.

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

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

Steve Jobs has passed away.