Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dead at 56

Wow.  Just.  Wow. 

I was wrapping up my activities for the night in preparation for bed and decided to check Google News before I shut down the laptop for the evening.  To my shock there was the announcement:  “Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Dead at 56”. 

Okay – I know that he was sick after fighting a long battle with pancreatic cancer when he resigned from Apple in August but I didn’t know that it was that bad.  Totally caught me off-guard.

Yeah, I still have my criticisms about Apple, it’s (over-hyped) products and it’s Kool-aid drinking herd of iSheep followers, but I had a TON of respect for Steve Jobs. 

Jobs was the offspring of un-wed college students, and was adopted by parents who struggled to make ends meet.  He attended college only for one semester before dropping out.  After a short stint with Atari, he co-founded Apple with high-school friend Steve Wozniak and a few other investors.  During his initial tenure Apple released iconic personal computers such as the Lisa and the Macintosh that revolutionized personal computing, and taught the world the tech meaning of the words icon, mouse and GUI. 

A reputed egomaniac with a reputation of being “difficult and temperamental” to work with he was forced out of the company in 1985 after which the company struggled to find its footing.  However in 1997 Jobs returned to lead Apple back to the top.  Under Jobs leadership the then struggling Apple Computer unleashed its line of “i” products beginning with the iMac, followed by the iPod, then the iPhone, the iPad – just to name a few.  Today, Apple Computer is one of the most valued companies in the world. 

Steve Jobs had a vision of how technology should be used in our daily lives.  Through persistence and creative marketing he made a change to the world and those who shared it with him. 

And we thank him for it. 

Rest in peace Steve Jobs.