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Steve Jobs has passed away.

• sneak 15y ago
  :( I haven't the words.
• ubi 15y ago
  very tasteful, props Apple.
• InclinedPlane 15y ago
  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.
• mrpollo 15y ago
  here starts the legend, Thanks Steve!
• jianshen 15y ago
  This makes me really really sad deep inside. What an incredible journey.
• gokhan 15y ago
  He was 56 years old, too young to die :(
• cilantro 15y ago
  My first computer was a Macintosh Plus at age ~5. Not sure what I would be doing with my life without his contribution.
  • equalarrow 15y ago
    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.."
  • mcclung 15y ago
    My first was an Apple IIe at age 12. I was thinking the same thing.
  • ebrenes 15y ago
    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.
  • ebrenes 15y ago
    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.
  • ebrenes 15y ago
    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.
  • earl 15y ago
    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.
    • vacri 15y ago
      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.
  • ilamont 15y ago
    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).
• danvideo 15y ago
  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.
• dustingetz 15y ago
  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] http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jobs-anecdotes-apples-little-known-facts/ http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jo...
• sosuke 15y ago
  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.
• cedsav 15y ago
  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. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q66B5C http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q66B5C
  • rorrr 15y ago
    And even having billions of dollars and access to any medicine and any doctor can't save you. Fuck cancer.
    • cookiecaper 15y ago
      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.
      • rorrr 15y ago
        You're right, cancer is not just one disease. Aging will probably get solved relatively soon, as will cancer, we just need the technology. http://www.ted.com/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_aging.html http://www.ted.com/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_ag...
      • 15y ago
• dlss 15y ago
  they took our jobs :(
• donohoe 15y ago
  "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 speech Text: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
  • checker 15y ago
    He definitely loved what he did. He stuck with it until the end. RIP Steve.
    • marcalc 15y ago
      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.
      • TomOfTTB 15y ago
        This is terribly tragic and don't take anything I say after this as meaning anything other than that. But the more I think about this the more I think this is somehow the way things were meant to be. I mean, as much as we wish it wasn't true people do get diminished by age. The dashing young actor loses a little when you see him as a 60 year old. Your memory of him gets altered in the smallest of ways. Steve Jobs is now enshrined in the world's collective memory as the magic man in a black shirt and jeans. He'll always be that now. I'd certainly trade his legend for a few more years of his life but at the same time the world needs legendary figures. Would it have been better if Abraham Lincoln had been around for two terms? Yes. But would he have inspired generations of Americans if he'd gotten mired down in the politics of reconstruction and been forced to act like "just another politician"? I doubt it. So it's horribly sad that Steve Jobs died but the fact that he was amazing to the very end is what will make him a legend going forward.
• cek 15y ago
  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.
  • afterburner 15y ago
    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.
  • joezydeco 15y ago
    I was introduced to an Apple ][ at about exactly the same time as you. It changed my life forever as well.
• 47 15y ago
  Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs will be remembered as the greatest inventor and entrepreneur of our era.
  • jleyank 15y ago
    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 %!&#% about his products: what they did, how they worked and what people could do with them.
    • petercooper 15y ago
      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.
      • jleyank 15y ago
        I stopped while typing and thought who was "big". I wasn't addressing the inventor portion, merely the entrepreneur. Mr. Gates or Mr. Walton had far greater impact on the world as a whole than Mr. Jobs. Mr. Ellison came to mind, as I wanted a few more names to add to the list. Guys like Buffett aren't in this category, and I could not think of other industry players of the last 20-30 years. I'd be willing to bet that the Amazon guy might end up on this list if current trends continue, as continued Amazon success might have the hollowing-out impact of Wal-Mart. And you missed the point I was trying to make. Jobs is different because he actually saw the product as more than a dollar sign. His "score" was lower because of this, but we're all applauding his decision tonight. And I don't count the computer or consumer electronics field as the best source of inventors. The latter, in many ways, is noise. The true inventions of the former occurred outside our date window (transistor, IC, microprocessor, ...) To me, inventions like PCR, medical/biology/chemistry/computer syntheses or vaccines are better, more significant inventions. Hell, Sony broke the ground with the Walkman. Roddenberry thought up the iPad in a way. But, again, Jobs had taste and he made sure (a) we knew that and (b) his products were intended to be more than revenue streams. As a postscript, I suspect there's far, far more businesses sitting on piles of Oracle software than they'd like (but they're stuck and getting nailed for it).
• melvinng 15y ago
  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.
• melvinng 15y ago
  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.
• pyrmont 15y ago
  I miss you, Steve.
• geuis 15y ago
  This wasn't the "One more thing..." that I wanted.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• fosk 15y ago
  Thanks Steve, thanks for your inspiration. You pushed the human race forward.
• 100k 15y ago
  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.
• ilamont 15y ago
  "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: http://instagr.am/p/NPa4o/ http://instagr.am/p/NPa4o/
  • gnosis 15y ago
    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.
    • firefoxman1 15y ago
      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.
      • gnosis 15y ago
        "Steve was rewarded proportionately for his contribution to the world." Don't even get me started.
        • Zakuzaa 15y ago
          Dude, not now.
        • jpulgarin 15y ago
          Gnosis as in Samael Aun Weor?
        • jpulgarin 15y ago
          Gnosis as in Samael Aun Weor?
        • 15y ago
• veyron 15y ago
  The world lost a great industrialist ...
• PedroCandeias 15y ago
  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.
• jasontan 15y ago
  He built the iCloud so he could have a place to rest in peace. Thanks, Steve
• jfb 15y ago
  I never really met him (thanked him once in person for the shuttle service), but I'm glad that he got an extraordinary second chance -- by all accounts, he wasted not a second of it. My God rest his immortal soul.
• jayfuerstenberg 15y ago
  It's sad that it takes the death of a man like Steve Jobs to make the rest of us realize that we're not living our lives to the fullest.
• macak 15y ago
  would like to point out every article in the top 30 is on steve. have a jpg too if someone can host. picasa is being lame.
• macak 15y ago
  won't be drinking an sugared-water today. Thanks, Steve.
• keveman 15y ago
  As engineers and logicians, we almost always ask, how? But this is one of the times that I want to ask, why? :'(
• chunky1994 15y ago
  Finally shakespeare has his answer, here came a man greater than Ceaser, when comes another Steve Jobs? RIP Steve, you're memory will never die.
• nrbafna 15y ago
  Black band on above the links on HN, a pay of respect to Steve Jobs?
• anishk123 15y ago
  RIP Steve
• arc_of_descent 15y ago
  As with most, I'm pleasantly surprised by the emotions in me related to Steve Jobs' death. I've only ever used an iPod. I guess this is testament to the person he was. Screw the tech stuff.
• ojbyrne 15y ago
  Someone I knew said a while back "No tech company has ever come back from decline." I immediately thought of (what I feel is now the canonical counterexample) Apple. So many tech companies, and CEOs who have never been acquainted with failure, and have arrogance that's mostly a result of being in the right place and the right time. And one who was fired, watched his company driven right to the precipice, and brought it back. The arc of a hero. August 6, 1997. Greatness doesn't happen at the top but at the bottom: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-202143.html http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-202143.html
  • eropple 15y ago
    Apple and Jobs is probably the biggest turnaround in the history of tech companies, but IBM was in pretty dire straits too, not that long ago. (But I like Apple more. ;) )
• littlegiantcap 15y ago
  I know there may not be many Catholics on this board, but just in case. In nómine Patris et Fílii et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.
• happypeter 15y ago
  This means a lot to me "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it, and like any great relationship it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don't settle." June 12th 2005 Stanford commencement speech
• paraschopra 15y ago
  Steve, you are going to be missed terribly! :(
• pbreit 15y ago
  The saddest thing is to think what kind of further impact Steve could have had over the next 20, 30 or 40 years. What a remarkable career and life. You have inspired millions (billions?) and will truly be missed.
• gbsi 15y ago
  I never knew the man, but somehow he always knew what I wanted. An incredible leader and source of inspiration. Stay hungry, stay foolish.
• sakibanda1 15y ago
  Its very sad to loose him so early. We should move in the paths he has shown us. May his soul rest in peace.
• wvs 15y ago
  Later, Steve. May your vision live on.
• revorad 15y ago
  Steve, thanks for the dent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-i-yv-Mz8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-i-yv-Mz8
• thought_alarm 15y ago
  Thank you, Steve. http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6128/04nextcube.jpg http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6128/04nextcube.jpg
  • RexRollman 15y ago
    Very nice. Most people love Steve for his work at Apple, and rightfully so, but I was always a bigger fan of his work at Next (I'm one of those weirdos who liked Nextstep more than Mac OS X; from a UI perspective).
  • equalarrow 15y ago
    God, NeXTStep was awesome.. I used Windowmaker for years on Linux until I transitioned to OSX. NSObject.
• marcamillion 15y ago
  Walter Isascson had better be prepared for the amount of books he is about to sell - http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317859076&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/14516485... 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.
  • ciniglio 15y ago
    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: http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537 http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/14516485...
    • ceejayoz 15y ago
      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.
    • marcamillion 15y ago
      Err....I don't even have an affiliate account. That link was NOT an affiliate link. How about checking before slandering?
      • ciniglio 15y ago
        You're right, Im sorry. I thought that refs in the query string were used for affiliate links. Two questions - what DO affiliate links look like, or how can I tell? Also, can I delete that comment or edit it?
• RegEx 15y ago
  A very respectable tribute, right down to the img src. http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png
  • enneff 15y ago
    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero%20image http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero%20image
  • naz 15y ago
    "hero" is a standard term for that kind of image size and position in print and on the web.
    • RegEx 15y ago
      Ah. Thanks for the info.
• chunkyslink 15y ago
  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.
• aespinoza 15y ago
  This is indeed very sad news....
• yoda_sl 15y ago
  This is a sad day in History
• kristofferR 15y ago
  "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
  • jquery 15y ago
    "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.
    • Helianthus 15y ago
      What do you mean?
      • orangecat 15y ago
        Death is not good; it is very bad. If given the opportunity to live "forever" (and not age), you'd take it. In a world without death, nobody would think introducing it was a good idea. But because we currently can't do anything about it, we try to tell ourselves it's a good thing.
        • hugh3 15y ago
          Yeah, but without death the whole world would be filled to the brim with protobacteria, and none of us complex life forms would ever have had room to exist.
• nhangen 15y ago
  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
  • cyberguppy 15y ago
    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.
    • nhangen 15y ago
      Well said my friend.
    • dpritchett 15y ago
      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.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• yojimbo311 15y ago
  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.
• amorphid 15y ago
  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.
• tc 15y ago
  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.
  • capkutay 15y ago
    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).
  • barista 15y ago
    A very well earned right and credibility indeed. Very few turnaround stories in the tech industry that are of the magniture of Apple's.
    • runjake 15y ago
      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.
  • astine 15y ago
    One could make an entire PoliSci dissertation out of your comment.
    • littlegiantcap 15y ago
      As a poli sci major one could make a poli sci comment out of anything.
  • phzbOx 15y ago
    Here's a very well done video http://www.bloomberg.com/video/66625228/ http://www.bloomberg.com/video/66625228/
    • mercury888 15y ago
• scarmig 15y ago
  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.
  • ConstantineXVI 15y ago
    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?
    • julsonl 15y ago
      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.
• lewispb 15y ago
  “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.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• pitdesi 15y ago
  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.
  • dholowiski 15y ago
    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)
    • johnx123-up 15y ago
      Do you know where and how to donate for cancer research?
      • pitdesi 15y ago
        Randy Pausch, another tremendous person who died too young of pancreatic cancer, had some recommendations: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/ http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/
        • mirkules 15y ago
          I was too reminded of Randy Pausch, specifically the last pages in his book "The Last Lecture." In my mind, there was an obvious parallel between the ending chapters going by much quicker than beginning ones, a lot shorter, more succinct, reading the words of a dying, and now-dead, man. On one hand, we never experienced this with Steve, he never really gave an indication of slowing down (except for his resignation speech), and I never noticed the energy sucked out of Apple like I did from Randy's book. That's obviously because Steve made all the right moves in transitioning the company. On the other hand, the empty-chair photo made me visualize how he was watching the presentation, and that in itself reminded me of the last pages of The Last Lecture. The fact he died the day after the presentation is Steve's version: The Last Keynote. RIP Steve.
• dr_ 15y ago
  Accomplished more in his 56 years of life than many people do in a full lifetime. Thank you for your vision, creativity and inspiration.
  • DilipJ 15y ago
    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.
• Rotor 15y ago
  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.
• pixelcloud 15y ago
  "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
  • Udo 15y ago
    And luckily he was wrong about that :-)
    • ricardobeat 15y ago
      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.
• Folcon 15y ago
  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.
• candre717 15y ago
  Even in the face of death, Jobs was a great visionary until the end. Now that's inspiring.
• pixelcloud 15y ago
  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, 1996 The best ideas are the ones you have to force on people.
  • rgovostes 15y ago
    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.
• protomyth 15y ago
  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.
• hesdeadjim 15y ago
  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.
• channelmeter 15y ago
  “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
• chetan51 15y ago
  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.
• orky56 15y ago
  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.
• maxwin 15y ago
  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.
• JunkDNA 15y ago
  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.
• juliano_q 15y ago
  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.
• axefrog 15y ago
  He worked up until he barely had a month left. That's passion for you.
  • DilipJ 15y ago
    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. "
    • sabat 15y ago
      FWIW, Steve was a fan of Dylan Thomas.
• diogenescynic 15y ago
  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.
• xelipe 15y ago
  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. (;_;)
• chaosmachine 15y ago
  If you watched the iPhone keynote yesterday, you may have noticed this: http://i.imgur.com/BsIoS.png http://i.imgur.com/BsIoS.png This shot was shown for about 5 seconds right at the beginning of the recording. Front row, center. Reserved. Empty.
  • breakall 15y ago
    I noticed it too and assumed it was for Steve since Tim Cook came out initially.
  • sethg 15y ago
    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.”
    • deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    • mcantor 15y ago
      I think it's more likely that he would have said, "I've barely begun."
  • exogen 15y ago
    I noticed that too. Look at the backs of the filled chairs, though – all reserved.
  • robflynn 15y ago
    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.
  • dvdhsu 15y ago
    Bob Mansfield, and Phil Schiller are both in that row. It's likely that it was reserved for Steve.
• ankimal 15y ago
  RIP Steve Jobs, one of the greatest visionaries of our times.
• scelerat 15y ago
  Yay Steve Jobs for making a dent in the universe. Inspiring.
• MatthewB 15y ago
  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 
• andrewl 15y ago
  He gave me a bicycle for my mind. That's a powerful gift, and I'm grateful.
• plq 15y ago
  the world is a scarier place now. a moment of hush for mr. jobs.
• ericb 15y ago
  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.
• rufugee 15y ago
  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.
  • elliottcarlson 15y ago
    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.
• donw 15y ago
  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.
  • dholowiski 15y ago
    Fuck,yeah!
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• dabent 15y ago
  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.
• felipemnoa 15y ago
  A truly sad day for humanity. Thank you so much Steve Jobs for giving us so much.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• _frog 15y ago
  Cancer is such an ugly way to go, we lost a great man today.
• gfodor 15y ago
  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.
• sharmajai 15y ago
  A very sad day for humanity.
• puredemo 15y ago
  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.
• mikeryan 15y ago
  Thanks Steve.
• josephcooney 15y ago
  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.
• mwill 15y ago
  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.
  • Udo 15y ago
    > 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.
    • philwelch 15y ago
      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.
      • Udo 15y ago
        As morbid as this sounds, he probably died yesterday morning - the close timing to the iPhone event suggests they held off on announcing his death so as not to overshadow the product announcement. I have seen a few patients with end-stage liver disease during their last days and I have to say they don't recognize their surroundings nor are they capable of reflecting on their own state. And this is a good thing probably. At times like these, it helps me to remember that lives are not defined by their endings, they are defined by how they have been lived.
• vaksel 15y 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
  • orangecat 15y ago
    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.
• BadiPod 15y ago
  Steve Jobs embodies everything I strive to be.
• MikeCapone 15y ago
  He will be missed. Thank you for making a dent in the universe, Steve.
• biot 15y ago
  Fuck cancer for taking a great visionary from us.
• darkmethod 15y ago
  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.
• abstractwater 15y ago
  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.
• rads 15y ago
  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.
• steve8918 15y ago
  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.
• dm8 15y ago
  A true visionary, maverick and someone who had healthy disregard for rules and status quo. RIP Steve. You'll be sorely missed.
• edw519 15y ago
  "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.
  • aespinoza 15y ago
    So true.
  • nirvana 15y ago
    Sorry to be pedantic, but it was dent. "Do[n't] you want to make a dent in the universe?"
    • speleding 15y ago
      It was "ding" according to most sources that come up in Google http://quotationsbook.com/quote/215/ http://quotationsbook.com/quote/215/
    • debt 15y ago
      The original was right, but I think it was dong. Steve said "I want to put a dong in the universe."
• Sym3tri 15y ago
  RIP
• shriphani 15y ago
  This was his decade - thanks for making the personal computer personal steve. RIP.
• aforty 15y ago
  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.
• krishna2 15y ago
  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.
  • lawnchair_larry 15y ago
    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."
    • DilipJ 15y ago
      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)
      • doyoulikeworms 15y ago
        To be fair, he was pretty much a kid at the time.
• grizzlylazer 15y ago
  This changes everything. RIP Steve Jobs, thanks for everything. You have been an inspiration to my entrepreneurial career.
• Jun8 15y ago
  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.
• kunday 15y ago
  Tech world will never be the same without Steve around. May he rest in Peace.
• bond 15y ago
  R.I.P. Condolences to his family.
• artursapek 15y ago
  Is the black bar that just appeared at the top of HN a symbol for Steve's passing?
  • nplusone 15y ago
    It is. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078285 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078285
• dholowiski 15y ago
  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?
• Duff 15y ago
  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.
• ericd 15y ago
  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.
• natemartin 15y ago
  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.
• gord 15y ago
  sadness.. Steve Jobs built beautiful useful things. This solid alu keyboard with rounded corners tells a story of someone who cared.
• guimarin 15y ago
  Personally inspired me to get into computing when I was a young child. He will be sorely missed.
• kylek 15y ago
  An Insanely Great loss. :(
• mixmax 15y ago
  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.
  • deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  • jmatt 15y ago
    This is from the Think Different campaign (1997+): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Different http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Different 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.
• mitultiwari 15y ago
  “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.
• erreon 15y ago
  Sad news about Steve Jobs, but I'm glad he's through the pain he must have been in. RIP
• elmcitylabs 15y ago
  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
• azulum 15y ago
  
  • bauchidgw 15y ago
     Sent from my iPad
• lyime 15y ago
  It is amazing to see that there are millions of other people that care about same person as much as I do.
• kennethologist 15y ago
  Good but never forgotten! The spirit of Steve Jobs will live on in each of our minds and hearts born and unborn. Steve Jobs lives in every product apple has and will ever create.
• robert_nsu 15y ago
  RIP Steve Jobs
• mantas 15y ago
  Steve Jobs was my idol since I knew who he is and what Apple is. He showed me it's possible to live one's dream and that it's ok to follow your heart. And that it's the only way to be happy and bring happiness to others. Furthermore, his products showed me that it's possible to create easy to use and beautiful software. And that's what I ended up trying to do.. Thank you Steve and rest in peace. I'll do my best to stay hungry, stay foolish.
• tsycho 15y ago
  I don't know what to say. Even if this was expected at some point, I feel really sad.....wish there were more people around me whom I could share this with....but no one seems to care as much.
• quizbiz 15y ago
  As General Electric innovates well beyond Thomas Edison, I look forward to watching Apple continue to push society forward. Steve Jobs will in some ways live on through the Apple brand, as a symbol for so many things that resonate so strongly, I can't even express it.
• spudlyo 15y ago
  I'm deeply and unexpectedly saddened by the news. Recently while taking a cab from SFO into the city I monitored our progress on the iPhone maps app, and had a profound feeling that I was living in the future I had dreamed about as a kid. Thank you Steve.
• darksaga 15y ago
  Wow - what a day. A tweet by CBSNEws says it was wrong when someone tweeted he had died, then I scramble for hours trying to figure out if it was real, and now it has been confirmed by Apple. When I read the news, it really felt like he was hanging on until he knew his company was in good hands and he could pass on. Just an incredible human being in every aspect. He will be sorely missed.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• m0wfo 15y ago
  Apple was born out of obsession and makes some of the finest hardware around, running BSD with a touch of class that is unrivalled. But as my granny would say, there are no pockets in a shroud... poor Steve. It's nice to have a sexy laptop, but life's just too damn short.
• nirav 15y ago
  R.I.P. Steve, You inspired many of us to rise above and beyond what we would have been otherwise...
• bane 15y ago
  The beginning of the end of the wave of computing that transformed society like no invention since iron and the printing press. Steve Jobs was absolutely on the forefront of that revolution and will be greatly missed. Hats off to you Mr. Jobs, hats off.
• mml 15y ago
  I told my daughter a great man died today.
• sbochins 15y ago
  Did the site layout and color scheme change because Jobs died? Or was this planned earlier?
• ww520 15y ago
  This is truly sad. Steve Jobs is like an iconic representation of our computing generation. In some way his passing away signifies the diminishing of our generation. Sigh.
• sabat 15y ago
  I keep waiting to hear from Woz. I think we in the Nerd World need to hear from Woz tonight.
• WiseWeasel 15y ago
  I grew up on Macs (starting with a IIcx in the late 80s) and bleed in six colors; this news is extremely hard for me to take. Ultimately, this adds a sense of urgency to my own efforts to start a company and help bring a piece of the future to fruition, as I can no longer count on Steve to get us there. Thank you Steve, for your vision, good taste, boundless drive and the inspiration you have given me and countless others. You will be sorely missed. :.(
• aresant 15y ago
  Even the .png name on Apple's site is appropriate: http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png http://images.apple.com/home/images/t_hero.png Here's to you Steve, thank you for the inspiration over my lifetime.
  • masklinn 15y ago
    That's just the name of this banner format though, I don't think it has to do with Jobs himself/
    • dragonquest 15y ago
      True, but how co-incidentally appropriate, truly a hero!
• guzzul 15y ago
  iPhone 4S = iPhone 4Steve
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• hackerbob 15y ago
  I don't even know what to type. I'm just simply sad.
• emp_ 15y ago
  I'm late in the thread but just want to wish the best to his family, they helped make him what he represented.
• denisonwright 15y ago
  In honor of Steve Jobs. http://www.smileecards.com/card/in-honor-of-steve-jobs http://www.smileecards.com/card/in-honor-of-steve-jobs
• dhughes 15y ago
  Steve Jobs was quite the guy, everyone had their opinion of him but he ignored the critics and kept his dream going.
• rooshdi 15y ago
  "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." Thank you Steve, RIP
• ltamake 15y ago
  I just realised something. Steve won't ever see the new Apple building in Cupertino (the "spaceship" one). :'(
  • bengl3rt 15y ago
    Nor will he get to live in his dream house, which he finally got permission to build on a specific spot in Palo Alto last year.
• f7u12 15y ago
  I hate Apple, but I'm not going to lie, I'm teary-eyed right now reading all this. I can certainly see from the comments how much he has inspired everyone, and for that I am grateful. Thanks Steve.
• sharmajai 15y ago
  I have never met Steve Jobs in person, yet I am deeply saddened by this news, this does not happen very often. Thank you Steve for being an inspiration in our lives and making the world a better place. You will be missed forever. Rest in peace. My condoloences to your family.
• steve19 15y ago
  I am sad. Sad for Steve, sad for Steve's family, sad for how he could have changed the world if he lived another 50 years and also sad, selfishly maybe, that I will never have the opportunity to meet him. RIP Steve, you inspired us and we loved you for it.
  • outworlder 15y ago
    This does mimic a conversation I've just had at our startup. We won't have the privilege of seeing what was he really like. Congratulations to all of those who had that opportunity. The rest of us will have to make do with a mere shadow of his personality. But what a remarkable shadow it is.
• vsl2 15y ago
  A man who built possibly the most successful company in the world (not to mention what I believe is the best movie studio in the world). So sad that he died so young...
• larrys 15y ago
  Having written my first (if you want to call it that) program on a ASR-33 Teletype and remembering back when computers were not only expensive but certainly not mainstream (and not cool to the masses anyway) it's amazing what Jobs and Apple were able to do in the last decade. Who would ever think that this "thing" that some of us had so much fun with back then would be so accepted and talked about by everyone today. That there would be so much adulation for someone, actually anyone, in this industry? If you're not old enough to remember the way it was back many years ago we're really living in a special time right now. And Steve is certainly the reason for much of that.
• Killah911 15y ago
  RIP Steve, I don't know weather to feel sad for the loss of one of the greatest innovators of our time or to feel happy about seeing the example of a life well lived. I'm sure yiu sill continue to inspire us and even many after we have passed on.
• marknutter 15y ago
  That every single story on the hacker news front page is a Steve Jobs related link speaks volumes.
• GotToStartup 15y ago
  Steve Jobs inspired me on so many levels. Whenever I need a boost I find myself watching one of his incredibly powerful talks, oozing with inspiration. The man accomplished more in an hour than most will their entire lives. This is a hard loss for our entire industry.
  • enjoy-your-stay 15y ago
    I also find his videos an inspiration - especially those from NeXT. Fortunately we'll have them for a lot longer than we've had Steve. I know my contribution will just be a tiny digital drop in the tide of condolences that's coming in right now. But R.I.P Steve Jobs. You'll be missed.
• jasim 15y ago
  The hard thing to digest is that Steve never had any peers. This is one huge world, with millions using consumer technology. But there is no one else from which to expect the level of innovation Steve Jobs could do. There is a vacuum.
• juliano_q 15y ago
  Every single link at HN frontpage is about Jobs passage atm. It may looks obvious, but look at the importance of the guy between hackers. RIP.
  • zipdog 15y ago
    I saw the sad news on another site and came here for confirmation: saw every single story was about Steve Jobs, and then reflected how appropriate it was. There's few people of the stature of Steve Jobs.
  • mdonahoe 15y ago
    As I was typing the hacker news url, I wondered how many top stories would be about steve, but I did not expect all of them.
• sort3d 15y ago
  Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
• dasil003 15y ago
  Art and computers are my two passions. No one did more to unite them than Steve Jobs. A great man.
• alexwolfe 15y ago
  I think it was surprising for many of us how emotional this loss was. There were moments I literally couldn't/wouldn't believe this was happening. Amazing how many people he touched. RIP Steve, we truly miss you.
• anand_nalya 15y ago
  RIP Steve.
• pullo 15y ago
  terribly sad news! what wonders he could have created if had lived for another decade..I am grateful to you Steve.
• patrickk 15y ago
  I'm employed right now because of Steve Jobs incredible vision (iOS developer). I might not have work in this economy right now if it weren't for Steve. RIP.
• pyUser 15y ago
  Didn't know it was possible to feel so sad by the death of non-family/friend. RIP Steve. Am lucky to have lived in your era.
• taphangum 15y ago
  I'm surprised by how emotional i am about this. RIP Steve.
• umfana 15y ago
  R.I.P.
• thetruthsayer 15y ago
  Capitalism has won when an impoverished, debt-ridden mass of Western consumers mourns the death of a billionnaire who made his fortune by the sweat of dirt-cheap workers provided by a Communist dictatorship.
• revorad 15y ago
  I just posted this on my blog, thought I'll share here - The most important lesson from Steve Jobs Don't be afraid to be wrong. It is sad that the first time I write about Steve Jobs is when he's passed away. I've never owned an Apple product. So, my love and respect for Steve is entirely based on the way he lived his life. I've always believed that one must do exactly what one loves. Life's too short to waste doing other stuff. What for, anyway? Money? Power? They pale in comparison to the electric feeling of creating something new, something you dreamed up. Let people tell you you're crazy. You will probably fail. That's ok. Steve failed a lot. But, what kept him going? He wasn't afraid to be wrong. Don't be afraid to be wrong. Make that dent. http://giniji.com/hrishi/stevejobs.html http://giniji.com/hrishi/stevejobs.html
• RichardVanStark 15y ago
  RIP Steve. I think we need eat an delicious apple today in memory of Steve Jobs.
• pknerd 15y ago
  I never met Steve. I even never got into Silicon Valley or US, Being a non American I could only touch and feel Steve by using his products. It is easy to love role models but damn difficult to follow them, Today I promise myself that I'll try to follow lessons taught by Steve Jobs. Thank you Sir for giving human side to technology.
• Tycho 15y ago
  One of the best people ever.
• Udo 15y ago
  In the face of all that he has achieved in his short life, the thing that saddens me most is he won't get to see all the cool technologies and gizmos we'll have in the future. He laid the ground work for a large part of this future, it's so sad that he won't be there to witness (or shape) it.
• mlok 15y ago
  RIP Steve Jobs. He's been a great inspiration for me. Making tech simply work in the hands of human beings. Think different.
• revorad 15y ago
  The final page from an Apple business plan in 1981: http://twitpic.com/6vx2cn http://twitpic.com/6vx2cn
• wakeup 15y ago
  YES FUCKING YES! NOW BURN IN HELL!
• seanl 15y ago
  Some realities can't be distorted. RIP.
• richardofyork 15y ago
  May your soul continue to create beautiful things in heaven. You have done a great deal for humanity, and for that we are very grateful for your time on earth. You represented the best of human intellect and human drive for perfection. We are inherently imperfect as humans, but you have proven, with fantastic flair and awe, that humans can attain perfection. Perfection is no longer a concept, it is embodied in the iPad, the iPhone, the MAC OSX, the iPod, the MAC Book Pro, and all the ingenious, useful, monumental products you have introduced to our world. We stand proud as humans because of you and the few other men and women who have stood strong and lead with courage and change our world for the better. For Ever! My condolences to your family, your fans, your friends, and your colleagues.
• incub8or 15y ago
  Sad, sad day.
• Symmetry 15y ago
  Some people have muses that subtly guide them their entire life. Other people have furious muses that seize them by the scruff of the neck and demand their full attention until a work is completed through spasmodic effort. Steve Jobs seemed to have been possessed by the second type of muse, but one that never let go but just kept driving him. Even if some of use used few Apple products, Steve had a vision and always kept demonstrating that more was possible, that things could be better than they had been. He'll be missed.
• jpastika 15y ago
  I'm guessing the black bar on top of the HN menu is for Steve Jobs. Apple is the most incredible comeback story of my lifetime. Under Jobs, Apple's stock went from $10 to $400. His dedication to the user experience and unwavering commitment to quality are his traits I most admire and desire to emulate. Some would say that he didn't get to enjoy his success after conquering the business world, but I believe he enjoyed every moment of the pursuit. RIP Mr. Jobs.
• ossama-web 15y ago
  RIP Steve Jobs, we hope see some creative and inspiring people like him in the future.
• jts 15y ago
  Thanks, Steve. You put a dent in my universe.
• toblender 15y ago
  Make everyday your masterpiece.
• asificare 15y ago
  Nice comments all. You are pathetic...
• BillPosters 15y ago
  I mostly avoid Macs. I prefer PC. But I dig the iPhone despite the various lock-down restrictions. I moved on to an android phone, and for the most part liked the new freedoms the android offered, but it was a step down in user interface design, general UX and is less "fun to use". I'm grateful that Steve invested in Pixar. Those animations are inspiring. So for me it's iPhone + Pixar. The rest, with respect, is just normal computer business - iMacs and so on. That is, build them cheap in China, sell them expensive in fancy stores with marble floors and huge glass windows. Not a lot going on there except manufacturing and clever business, and half-decent product design including the OS if you're a fan of that style of computer. But for sure, it's sad he died young and he was obviously a hero to many. I liked his speech to the uni students, he seemed to have a calm outlook and interest in life and death and everything in between.
• beaker 15y ago
  The first time I heard the word "icon" was when I was introduced to the new Macintosh 128k as a young child. Seems very appropriate now. Steve Jobs, Icon. RIP.
• Ulankgz 15y ago
  R.I.P. Steve. I respect him for that despite all the difficulties he was doing what he wanted in his life and enjoyed it. He achieved his goal - to change the world.
• achompas 15y ago
  I wanted to post this great anecdote from Metafilter: Here’s a short tale of mine when I worked at Apple: One sunny autumn day, Steve (he was always Steve) was walking across Apple’s campus with a reporter toward Caffe Macs. I was walking a few feet behind, enough to hear the reporter asking about Steve’s family. As we approached the entrance, Steve stopped and opened the door for an employee carrying trays of food outside. The employee never looked up but said "Thanks." "Sure," Steve replied. Just then, at least two dozen people followed the employee out. Because of where the reporter was standing, none of the employees (as far as I could tell) noticed who was holding the door for them. Steve continued holding that door, talking to the reporter, until I came up and offered to take his place as doorman. "Thanks," he said. "Sure," I replied. He smiled and invited the reporter inside. That’s it. Whatever else you may read about Steve, whatever else happens in his life or to Apple or to the world of computing, know that he opened doors for people. R.I.P. Steve. We're all better off thanks to your time on the planet. (credit to kawika, link below) http://www.metafilter.com/108093/Steve-Jobs-RIP#3958050 http://www.metafilter.com/108093/Steve-Jobs-RIP#3958050
• navs 15y ago
  One of my dreams was to demo a product in front of Steve Jobs and receive his approval. That'll never be but the mere fact that a man can make me strive for success without ever having met him is a testament to his influence.
• andrewneilcrump 15y ago
  I heard this news very late last night (BST) and I didn't sleep. Absolutely gutted that we have lost such an inspiration. His 2005 Stanford inspired to me to go on a journey that makes me smile every day. A true founder of the modern world.
• martinkallstrom 15y ago
  Steve Jobs held the world up to his standards. Maybe that's why we are at such a loss now when he's gone.
• paul9290 15y ago
  What a life; legacy left. Thank you and rest in peace!
• jason_tko 15y ago
  Even the next day, I'm still having trouble coming to grips with this. This affected me far more than I could have expected. Even though I never once met Steve in person, I'm profoundly affected in so many ways by his clarity of vision, drive, steadfast beliefs, and in the end, the way he dealt with his mortality. A sad, sad day.
• jimqin 15y ago
  After a day of reflection of the tragic news, I think we should all have a sense of optimism. http://www.jimqin.com/?p=102 http://www.jimqin.com/?p=102
• dhughes 15y ago
  You know how some sick people especially older people seem to be able to hold on until after a big event such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, whatever to them is important. Steve died a day after the launch of the iPhone 4S do you think he hung on until then just from sheer willpower alone?
• sgt 15y ago
  I made a little tribute video to Steve Jobs, in his memory. I submitted it to HN. It's actually specifically made for you guys. http://news.ycombinator.net/item?id=3081923 http://news.ycombinator.net/item?id=3081923
• purak 15y ago
  R.I.P Steve
• thomasfl 15y ago
  Steve Jobs deserved an upvote record on hacker news.
• RobertKohr 15y ago
  Computer technology tends to become a commodity. You took it and shaped it into art. You gave a machine a soul. You set the bar high, and it was a bar that most people left sitting on the ground.
• qubot 15y ago
  Jobs lived a life that he will be remembered for, which is a luxury other computing pioneers I could name (Eckert, Mauchley) did not get to enjoy. I am happy for Jobs in this respect, since it leaves a feeling of "completeness" that came with his death. However, I would feel more emotionally impacted if Jobs was less egocentric. His world was just that: His world. If something did not meet his vision, he was ready to talk down to it. Even if he was right, his attitude and politics made it difficult for me to really warm up to him. All I can say is that I wish his family and friends a good life after their tragedy. Regardless of what I think, they knew a man they will never forget.
• asificare2 15y ago
  I insist. Comments here are pathetic.
• Create 15y ago
  Report of Hongkong-based NGO SACOM about working conditions at the world’s leading electronics manufacturer, 2011_09_24: http://www.ppp.ch/fileadmin/francais/Politique_developpement/HTNR/2011_09_24_iSlave_Behind_iPhone.pdf http://www.ppp.ch/fileadmin/francais/Politique_developpement...
• tuckbuck 15y ago
  Enough of this Jobs adulation!!! Anything that has a beginning has an end . Everyone dies at the right time ( who are we to say sooner or later). Life goes on....
• madhancr 15y ago
  RIP Steve. My career got a boost because of technology you created. I wonder what you would have created if you had lived another 10 or 20 years
• DiabloD3 15y ago
  After 4 days, this has finally dropped off the front page. You did good, HN.
• earplug 15y ago
  I find it sad to think that I cannot email sjobs@apple.com and hope for a reply any longer. What a strength he pushed onto this company...
• sidwyn 15y ago
  The site has changed to a trove of eulogies.