Steve Jobs, the creative mind behind Apple, passes away at 56
From humble beginnings in the family garage, Steve Jobs built an empire. He worked with partners to develop one of the first lines of personal computers and co-founded Apple, a company that has produced so many generation-shaping gadgets that to use the word "iconic" would be an understatement.
Starting with the line of Apple II computers, Apple eventually produced such products as the iPod, the iPad, the iPhone... the list goes on. Jobs was the creative genius behind these products and worked to make them the best in their respective fields.
The iPod line was one of the most popular lines of media players on the market and continues to do well. The iPad continues to dominate the tablet market and has been successfully marketed as indispensible for business people and students alike. The iPhone has been so successful as to propel Apple to the position of top mobile phone manufacturer, and its mobile operating system, iOS, has only recently had its crown stolen by Google's Android software.
Along the way Jobs was forced out of his own company, Apple, and founded another, NeXT Computer. He bought a small animation company that would later be renamed Pixar, and he became the largest individual shareholder of Disney stock.
Jobs revealed that he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004, but underwent treatment. In 2009 he had a liver transplant and the prognosis was positive. Health problems once again arose in the years that followed, leading to his stepping down as CEO earlier this year and choosing Tim Cook as his successor.
Jobs passed away today at the age of 56. He leaves behind four children and his wife, Laurene.
"I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it... I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you."
- Steve Jobs, resignation letter
"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Thank you all very much."
- Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement address
