RIP Steve Jobs

Incredibly saddened this morning to hear the news that Apple founder Steve Jobs had died.

Steve was an incredible businessman. Someone who not only founded Apple in the first place, but who saved it from near bankruptcy when he returned to it, and in the process revolutionised the approach to tech, and the way we buy and listen to music.

The iPod, the iMac, and more recently the iPad, each launched to a skeptical market, but each then going on to revolutionise it. Apple's genius wasn't necessarily in being first with technology and innovation. It was taking that innovation and figuring out how best to employ it so that it just worked better for everyone. That's the very essence of Apple - their stuff just WORKS.

And Steve Jobs was the talisman, the inspiration. You always got the impression Steve genuinely loved what he was doing. That he was excited about the product and got a kick out of showing it off.

Steve Jobs inspired a generation.

Rest in peace, Steve.

They took our Jobs!

Lol

But seriously: that is a real shame, R. I. P Steve

I was reading an article that was saying that to replace him you'd need two people. One to replace Steve the businessman. The other to replace Steve the Showman. They questioned whether the new guy would have that. On the evidence of the last release it didn't look likely.

No, he doesn't quite have Jobs' style , but they'll find a way to make it work. The important thing is that the main people there all share his vision, and the company probably has products already in development for about the next 5-7 years.

The real hurdle for them isn't the immediate aftermath of his death; it's where the next Apple step-change and revolution comes from a few years down the line.

The article did say that he wasn't helped by the fact that the last release wasn't a big one. But the loss of Jobs has hit them - they dropped by 5% on their shares after he went as CEO.

I agree with you that they will stand on their products, though. I'm just not sure they will have the razzle.

As one of the comments said this morning in the Metro, had Jobs launched the iPhone 4S you would have come away thinking it was much more marvelous than it was, simply becuase of his style. With the new guy in charge you came away underwhelmed about a device that is actually quite a step forward for the iPhone, and is actually a great bit of kit.

But give the guy a bit of media training and he'll get there.

I think the same. It's all about how conditioned to the media you are. I'm sure the bigwigs at Apple wouldn't have picked him if they didn't think he could deliver. You don't build a company to the value of $350,000,000,000 without being at least a bit smart!

Plus, you have to remember that he delivered that speech on Tuesday afternoon, just 24hrs before Steve Jobs died. I strongly suspect that he and other top Apple executives and people close to Steve must have been aware that Jobs didn't have long, and they were probably expecting the worst at any minute.

Knowing what he meant to the company and the world, that the reaction to his death would be massive, and that this was the first product launch he hadn't done, must have added enormously to the pressure. Perhaps to some degree, his heart wasn't really in flogging a new product that day.

Oh, I agree that they will get better. Apple has products that are pure class so they will always be strong. My thought was just that, for a little bit, it might take the wind out of the sails a little.

I think one of the most repeated messages that I hear from the Jobs stories is about something being anything you want it to be. It was said about the I in Ipod, etc. It was said about Jobs himself - a very private man, away from the products, who let you fill in the blanks yourself. I think that will be my favourite memory of Jobs.