:(

I haven't the words.

very tasteful, props Apple.

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.

He was 56 years old, too young to die :(

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 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).

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] http://www.macstories.net/news/inside-apple-reveals-steve-jo...

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.

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_ag...

Especially since we as a species have eliminated so many other "natural" causes of death thanks to vaccines, antibiotics, sanitation etc. What we are left with are what we have not yet solved: cancer, heart disease and strokes (mostly). http://imgur.com/6d3lK

Cancer also becomes naturally more likely as time goes on and DNA has become more damaged so as our lifespans increase, so do the odds of getting cancer.

It seems like the statement of (1) is an admission that we aren't accurate at evaluating whether someone is "healthy" or "not healthy" to an acceptable level yet, since I would include precursors to cancer in my "healthy" classification.

  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".

Our bodies are machines. Biological and very complex machines, but still they follow a system of rules and their functions are defined in machine code. Cancer is a certain type of crash that can befall these machines, literally. As the cells are executing their DNA code, an error creeps into its daily routine.

There is a variety of reasons those bugs can come up: for example, the codebase could have a pre-existing weakness that gets triggered in certain conditions. Sometimes, the code was copied incorrectly from one cell to its successor. Sometimes an external influence corrupts the local copy of the code.

When cellular code develops a bug, there are a number of things that can happen: sometimes, the cell just becomes bad or inefficient at what it does. Sometimes it shuts down. Sometimes, nothing happens. And other times the bug introduces an infinite loop in the cell's replication subroutines - that's cancer.

You see, cancer is neither a medical catchall term nor is it an inevitability of life. In fact, our immune system regularly attacks crashed cells, including cancer cells. If it didn't we'd all be having cancer at a very early age. However, sometimes due to the nature of the bug, the immune system is incapable of recognizing that a cell has crashed. That's when cancer breaks out, because those cells replicate and the immune system doesn't stop them. This is also precisely the point where the most promising treatment options are. We are just now figuring out how to teach the immune system to recognize those crashed cells and once we advance this research enough, we'll have the capability to simply correct these flaws in our systems and get rid of the bug completely.

  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.

For your sake, I really hope you don't believe this nonsense. It's right up there with "the Earth is flat" and "God did it".

EDIT: After re-reading my post, I realize that it could be perceived as condescending - but I assure you, it's not supposed to be. It's just intended as a short programmer-friendly introduction into the nature of cancer.

Cancer's definitely more of a specific thing than you think, as other comments have pointed out, but it is more or less a common failure mode of mammals, and statistically, it will eventually happen to you if nothing else does.

PHD Comics making a similar statement: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1162

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.

they took our jobs :(

There's something to be said for retiring at the right time, but no, I don't think Steve Jobs' legacy would have been robbed of anything if he'd lived to enjoy thirty years of comfortable retirement.

Even dashing young actors aren't diminished by age. If Sean Connery had died young he would have robbed us of some great roles. And if Paul Newman had died young he would have robbed us of some tasty salad dressing.

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.

Careful though; this is the reason I'm currently left with $300 total.

Me, although it's my parents basement and not a garage. And I have the Gandhi poster framed, which I snagged when my school considered disposing those posters ...

Me too.

When I heard that commencement speech he gave, I just got the idea that he sincerely meant everything that he said. In a way that someone would when they were talking to you one on one. He had lived everything that he talked about.

And that speech is a big reason that I have made the leap into doing something on my own.

RIP Steve.

I love that speech, back in the early 80s he spoke to the Academy of Achievement which was also great to listen too: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/brochure/p3.html (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,

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.

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...

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.

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).

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.

I miss you, Steve.

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.

Dude, not now.

Gnosis as in Samael Aun Weor?

http://www.forbes.com/wealth/billionaires/list?page=2

Steve Jobs is 110. It's really quite reasonable if you put it into context.

Not necessarily. Bill Gates didn't just start giving money away, he started spending it in a fairly controlled manner, trying to accomplish well defined goals.

Maybe Bill Gates ran out of ideas how to help using computers, though.

They're Apple fanboys, what do you expect. Next they'll start quoting Ayn Rand.

Thankfully Steve himself had far superior cognitive capacity.

Doing both: apparently hard.

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.

The world lost a great industrialist ...

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.

What's more interesting than that is the rise:

http://i.imgur.com/agfbF.png

21,300% in the last 24 hours. As predicted :)

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."

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/08/15/biography_of_a...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero%20image

Ah. Thanks for the info.

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.

This is indeed very sad news....

This is a sad day in History

I'm pretty sure he's talking about death of people. I'm sure he gets the same satisfied smile smashing a mosquito that the rest of us do.

Death is obviously bad for you as an individual, but is crucial to the long-term survival on a species. Without death, you can't have evolution or adaptability.

Once a species has the intelligence and technology to eliminate death, they'll be able to evolve and adapt themselves far more effectively than evolution via natural selection.

I'm trying to understand what your view of evolution is if you think we're going to be significantly different in a few thousand years given we stopped all technological process today and let "nature take its course", or if you think we can survive things like climate change without using our intelligence and technology (perhaps it will even be necessary to augment both). Evolution is slow, evolution is dumb, evolution isn't going to magically make us more likely to survive threats to our existence. You would rather subject yourself to such a blind, dumb, uncaring process, than a future product, perhaps itself intelligent, of our own intelligence that outclasses a natural evolutionary process in every way? Do you think evolution is going to magically get our species off this planet should an asteroid wander this way, or in the future when the Sun dies? Our long-term survival is completely dependent on our technology already.

I would be very surprised and disappointed if our technological processes in a mere hundred years are not more robust and better than evolutionary equivalents--indeed we can already do many things evolution could never do itself, the last big step is doing that more on the micro scale. Work on that has already begun, it's pretty exciting to look at it. E. glowli is just the very beginning.

You're still doing it. When you say "We're still competing with other species, and we're still vulnerable to things like the effects of climate change, so if we completely stop evolving", what you imply is that if we keep evolving, we will improve until we can survive climate change and outcompete other species.

Again, that's not how it works - dinosaurs didn't evolve to be meteor resistant, and carrying on evolving could as well lead to our extinction as to our saving, or indeed to our losing intelligence and becoming a niche species again.

And that's aside from the fact that even with technological immortality, we'd still have people dieing and being created, and evolution will still be happening - it can't not-happen.

This madness has to stop.

Uh...if every member of a species happened to be immortal, that species would be the most successful species ever. Natural selection is all about getting rid of individuals who can't hack it. An individual who can't die is clearly one that can hack it, and is perfectly adapted to all situations.

Obviously. From what I know, ego is created by memories from a subjective experience. Death is nothing but destruction of memories. Some of the memories and experiences are selected and stored in global consciousness (like art/writing/design/etc). Same thing as death would probably happen if all your memory were to suddenly become unavailable within a context of staying awake as a physical body. We're all in linked system (your memories come from others, your ego is build from global consciousness + the context of your physical body) so "death" as in the end of phenomen of consciousness is possible but hardly achievable. Even if we kill every living being on earth, who's to say consciousness won't recreate again or it hasn't already. I'll come back to this at the end.

What's funny is memories are also re-created and retouched when we recall them. The whole thing is very complex and when people say they 'know for sure' something about life/death it irritates the hell out of me.

Individual death isn't bad or good. Death just is. It's more fluid and complex than bad or good. Not to mention "dead/alive" itself are fluid concepts. People choose to interpret death as good or bad because people are idiots.

If death was ultimately bad people wouldn't commit suicide all the time. If death was ultimately good people wouldn't apply so much effort to keep alive. People choose to think suicidals are by definition mentally ill also because people are idiots. If you're in a burning building, you most likely will jump out of the building committing suicide because the alternative (being burned alive) is much worse. Similar thing with a lot of suicides.

My point is: people are naive idiots and we still have no idea what exactly happens after death, and what exactly is 'after' or before. The idiocy of people when it comes to the subject of death figuratively speaking makes me want to kill myself.

The comforting thing is, within a context of individual consciousness you're pretty much fucking immortal. Whatever happens outside of the context of functioning consciousness should really be none of your concern. It is impossible to "feel dead". "When I'm alive death isn't here, when I'm dead I won't be there to witness it".

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.

That doesn't explain self-sacrifice. And, honestly, I wouldn't want to live an "eternal" life when everybody I love and know around me would be dead at some point or another. Maybe this is also why I've come to see Christianity's "promise" of eternal life as ridiculous and almost scary at times.

As Seneca used to say, it doesn't matter how long you live, it's what you do with your life that matters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Brevitate_Vitae_%28Seneca%29)

""" The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly. """

And to finish in an even more pathetic tone, I don't think we should strive for living an eternal life, but rather do what Julius Caesar did when he realized that Alexander had already conquered the world by 30: weep, and then try to conquer the world by ourselves.

Exactly. Longevity and maintenance are the key.

The reason to want to live longer? One word: space.

Living hundreds of years in good health will allow us all to become a space faring race. It will allow us to take the long view on interstellar travel, our species and relationships. I'm hoping to see that day and having Steve leave so early only solidifies the importance of longevity in my mind. Intelligence is not meant to die, it's meant to live. We accept death only because we have to and have been powerless to stop it. Technology is starting to change all that.

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.

Well said my friend.

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.

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.

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

No flash on my iPad :(

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.)

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?

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.

“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.

Yeah, I read it in another comment thread shortly after making this one.

(In the industry, we call this "the art of self-trolling".)

I give you a sincere tip of my nerdhat for pursuit of accuracy even when it's kinda awkward.

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.

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.

Most universities that do medicine and/or biotech have cancer research programmes. You could just drive down to the one nearest to you and have a look at what they're doing. They accept donations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FWIW, Steve was a fan of Dylan Thomas.

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 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.

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.

Fuck,yeah!

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.

A very sad day for humanity.

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.

Thanks Steve.

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.

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.

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.

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 http://quotationsbook.com/quote/215/

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

So true.

RIP

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.

To be fair, he was pretty much a kid at the time.

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.

R.I.P. Condolences to his family.

It is. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078285

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.

An Insanely Great loss. :(

This is from the Think Different campaign (1997+): 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.

“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



Sent from my iPad

It is amazing to see that there are millions of other people that care about same person as much as I do.

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.

RIP Steve Jobs

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

R.I.P. Steve, You inspired many of us to rise above and beyond what we would have been otherwise...

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.

I told my daughter a great man died today.

Did the site layout and color scheme change because Jobs died? Or was this planned earlier?

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.

I keep waiting to hear from Woz. I think we in the Nerd World need to hear from Woz tonight.

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. :.(

True, but how co-incidentally appropriate, truly a hero!

iPhone 4S = iPhone 4Steve

I don't even know what to type. I'm just simply sad.

I'm late in the thread but just want to wish the best to his family, they helped make him what he represented.

In honor of Steve Jobs. http://www.smileecards.com/card/in-honor-of-steve-jobs

Steve Jobs was quite the guy, everyone had their opinion of him but he ignored the critics and kept his dream going.

"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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

That every single story on the hacker news front page is a Steve Jobs related link speaks volumes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Art and computers are my two passions. No one did more to unite them than Steve Jobs. A great man.

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.

RIP Steve.

terribly sad news! what wonders he could have created if had lived for another decade..I am grateful to you Steve.

He built the iCloud so he could have a place to rest in peace. Thanks, Steve

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.

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.

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.

won't be drinking an sugared-water today. Thanks, Steve.

As engineers and logicians, we almost always ask, how? But this is one of the times that I want to ask, why? :'(

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.

Black band on above the links on HN, a pay of respect to Steve Jobs?

RIP Steve

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.

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. ;) )

I know there may not be many Catholics on this board, but just in case. In nómine Patris et Fílii et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

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

Steve, you are going to be missed terribly! :(

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.

I never knew the man, but somehow he always knew what I wanted. An incredible leader and source of inspiration. Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Its very sad to loose him so early. We should move in the paths he has shown us. May his soul rest in peace.

Later, Steve. May your vision live on.

Steve, thanks for the dent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-i-yv-Mz8

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).

God, NeXTStep was awesome.. I used Windowmaker for years on Linux until I transitioned to OSX.

NSObject.

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.

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.

I'm surprised by how emotional i am about this. RIP Steve.

R.I.P.

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

RIP Steve.

I think we need eat an delicious apple today in memory of Steve Jobs.

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.

One of the best people ever.

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.

RIP Steve Jobs. He's been a great inspiration for me. Making tech simply work in the hands of human beings.

Think different.

The final page from an Apple business plan in 1981: http://twitpic.com/6vx2cn

Some realities can't be distorted. RIP.

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.

Sad, sad day.

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.

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.

RIP Steve Jobs, we hope see some creative and inspiring people like him in the future.

Thanks, Steve. You put a dent in my universe.

Make everyday your masterpiece.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steve Jobs held the world up to his standards. Maybe that's why we are at such a loss now when he's gone.

What a life; legacy left. Thank you and rest in peace!

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?

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.

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

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

R.I.P Steve

Steve Jobs deserved an upvote record on hacker news.

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.

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.

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...

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

After 4 days, this has finally dropped off the front page.

You did good, HN.

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...

The site has changed to a trove of eulogies.