Steve Jobs: A visionary for the people
Steve Jobs, the man who taught the world to think different, has died.
When the 56-year-old co-founder of Apple Inc. stepped down as chief executive of the world’s largest technology company in August, the world feared the worst: that the health issues that forced him to take several medical leaves of absence from Apple over the past few years, had returned.
Now Mr. Jobs’ very public battle with cancer is over, and the world has lost perhaps the most brilliant technology and business mind of a generation.
Over the coming days and weeks, there will be much talk about the legacy of a man who created some of the most breathtakingly beautiful technology in the world, and the understated genius who unveiled it all while wearing blue jeans, black turtlenecks and sneakers.
Indeed, there are some who call him the greatest visionary of the past 50 years, drawing comparisons to Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
As news of his passing spread, words of kind remembrance came pouring in from around the world, many of the messages no doubt sent from devices Mr. Jobs helped to create.
For many, Mr. Jobs was more than a mere technology CEO or successful executive. He was a folk hero, one who touched the lives of millions of people around the world through the products he created, and the communications those technologies enabled.
In fact, the reason so many people may be left with a feeling that Mr. Jobs touched their lives, is because they hold in their hands his greatest achievements, and through those devices, they share a kind of kindred understanding with a reclusive billionaire they never met.
A Silicon Valley icon, Mr. Jobs helped usher in the digital era by creating one of the first personal computers. He revolutionized the music industry with the iPod music player and iTunes music store, and he fundamentally changed the world of communication with the launch of the iPhone.
He brought an entrepreneurial spirit to his company at every stage of its existence, even when it surpassed Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable public company in North America. He was always hungry, opportunistic, ruthless, focused and uncompromising.
Apple’s board of directors announced the passing of Mr. Jobs on Wednesday evening and the company’s home page featured a fitting minimalist tribute to the man who made computers simple for everyone, featuring a black and white photo of Mr. Jobs and the text:
“Steve Jobs: 1955-2011.”
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today,” the company’s board said in a statement.
“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.”
Microsoft Corp. co-founder and chairman Bill Gates, a longtime friendly rival to Mr. Jobs, offered his condolences to “everyone Steve has touched through his work.”
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives,” Mr. Gates said in a statement.
Google co-founder Larry Page called Mr. Jobs an “inspiration,” and recalled how Mr. Jobs reached out to him back in April, shortly after Mr. Page took over as chief executive of Google.
In the end, Mr. Jobs, the man who seemed to have an other-worldly ability to see into the future of technology and predict the road that lies ahead, perhaps understood the personal path that lay before him clearest of all.
In 2005, a little more than a year after surviving a bout with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, Mr. Jobs delivered a moving commencement speech to the graduating class at Stanford University.
During his oration, he ruminated on his own mortality, offering a rare glimpse into the psyche of a visionary mind painfully aware of the limits of its own existence.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
