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was 56.
Born Steven Paul Jobs on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California (United States of America), Jobs died on Wednesday in Palo Alto, California.
The cause of death was pancreatic cancer.

In a statement, the Jobs’ family said Steve “died peacefully”.
Steve Jobs lived his life at the intersection of technology and art, adding excitement to new products like the iPhone and iPad that borrowed from other devices and created something brand new and magical.
His passing on comes just one day after Apple unveiled its latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S.
Tim Cook, the company’s new CEO took the stage on Tuesday to unveil the phone and champion the many successes that Apple had accomplished under Jobs’ tenure.

Many of us hoped that the company’s signature “one more thing” would be an appearance by Jobs, but we had to suffice with Cupertino’s new product line-up, which Jobs no doubt had a hand in guiding.
Though Jobs suffered through various health setbacks in the past few years, he helped shape Apple into the powerhouse it is today.
Few companies have people lined up around the block for their latest smartphone and hardware manufacturers would love even a fraction of Apple’s iPad market share.
Cook said Apple has now sold 250 million iOS devices, all of which had to pass muster with the notoriously meticulous Jobs.

During his time in the tech spotlight, Jobs amassed a personal fortune of US$8,3 billion, according to the latest figures from Forbes.
He inspired an action figure, a fake blog persona, and numerous parodies featuring admirers donning his trademark uniform of black turtlenecks and jeans.
It wasn’t always that way, though. Apple started like many a tech start-up, in a garage.
It was 1976 and the product was the Apple-1. There was no casing, power supply, keyboard, or monitor, and it was US$700.

Jobs and co-founder Steve Wozniak only sold about 200 of the devices, making about US$20 each, but they had more success with the Apple II.
With some funds from venture capitalist Arthur Rock, they built 1 000 machines at a local factory and unveiled the device at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1978.
“My recollection is we stole the show, and a lot of dealers and distributors started lining up and we were off and running,” Jobs said in a 1996 interview with PBS.
That helped the company go public in 1980, making Jobs and “the Woz” millionaires.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however.
Jobs handed the CEO reigns over to former Pepsi chief John Sculley in 1983 and the Mac launched the following year with the iconic “1984” TV commercial.
But it was not like the iPhone or iPad rushes we see today.
Sales were sluggish and eventually, Sculley convinced the Apple board that Jobs needed to go.

In a 2010 interview with Cult of Mac, however, Sculley said that “looking back, it was a big mistake that I was ever hired as CEO. I was not the first choice that Steve wanted to be the CEO. He was the first choice, but the board wasn’t prepared to make him CEO when he was 25, 26-years-old.”
“The one who should really be given credit for all that stuff while I was there is really Steve,” Sculley said.
Jobs moved on to form NeXT Software, where he introduced a US$7 000 monochrome system that was defeated in the market by products from Sun and others.

As PCMag said in a 1994 piece, “Jobs’ vaulting ambition and stunning egomania doomed him from day one.”
Despite the lackluster products, many people, from journalists to analysts to politicians, “were so easily captivated by Jobs’ unparalleled charisma,” PCMag said.
That charisma helped Jobs return to Apple – the company bought NeXT Software in 1996 for US$400 million.
At the time, Apple wasn’t exactly thriving, but by March 1998, PCMag published a story called “Apple’s Comeback,” pointing to strong sales of its G3 processor and new software titles coming out of the Microsoft deal.

That year also saw the unveiling of the popular iMac personal computer, and when Apple debuted the multi-colored, next-generation iMacs the following year, it reportedly sold one system every 15 seconds.
The new millennium, however, saw Apple expand its offering and unveil many of the products now so closely associated with the company, including the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. The iPod made its debut in 2001.
“The 5GB Apple iPod MP3 player is so cool, you just might run out and buy a Mac,” PCMag said.

When Jobs appeared to give a keynote at the 2002 Macworld in New York City, it was “part rock concert and part fireworks display,” PCMag said.
“Jobs’ entrance was met with thunderous applause, whistling, and feet stomping; new products inspired ooohs and ahhhs.”
He introduced a Windows version of the iPod and the latest version of Mac OS X at the time, known as Jaguar.
Apple turned 30 in 2006, just one year before embarking on one of its most successful products, the iPhone.

US stocks rose slightly and Apple jumped 1,0 percent in early trading yesterday a day after the tech company’s visionary leader passed away.
Zimbabwe’s ICT family joins other Internet users in celebrating Steve Jobs’ brilliance and humongous contributions.
Steve Jobs’ death coincided with the official opening of the ICT Africa exhibition and conference in Harare.
The exhibition which ends today is Zimbabwe’s ICT industry flagship event.

Meanwhile, messages of condolence are pouring in from all corners of the globe:
Barack Obama, US president: “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”
Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman: “The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honour.”

Larry Page, Google CEO: “He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me.”
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”
Dmitri Medvedev, Russian President: “People like Steve Jobs change our world. My sincere condolences to his loved ones and to everyone who admired his intellect and talent”.

Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder: “People sometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he set himself.”

Rupert Murdoch, CEO of Newscorp: “Today, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation. While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I’m reminded of the stunning impact he had in revolutionising the way people consume media and entertainment. My heart goes out to his family and to everyone who had the opportunity to work beside him in bringing his many visions to life.”
Steven Spielberg, film producer: “Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips.”

Bob Iger, Walt Disney CEO: “Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined.
“Steve was such an ‘original,’ with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started.”

Paul Allan, Microsoft co-founder: “We’ve lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn’t help but be encouraged by how he persevered.”
Steve Case, AOL founder: “I feel honored to have known Steve Jobs. He was the most innovative entrepreneur of our generation. His legacy will live on for the ages.”

Michael Dell, Dell Inc CEO: “Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come.” Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner CEO: “The world is a better place because of Steve, and the stories our company tells have been made richer by the products he created. He was a dynamic and fearless competitor, collaborator, and friend. In a society that has seen incredible technological innovation during our lifetimes, Steve may be the one true icon whose legacy will be remembered for a thousand years.”

Dick Costolo, Twitter CEO: “Once in a rare while, somebody comes along who doesn’t just raise the bar, they create an entirely new standard of measurement. RIP Steve Jobs”
Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, co-CEOs of Blackberry-maker Research in Motion: “Steve Jobs was a great visionary and a respected competitor.”
Lord Sugar: “Gutted Steve Jobs died. We started our computer biz at same time and were competitors through the 80s. Great visionary. Sadly missed. RIP”

Stephen Fry: “Woke to the news of Steve Jobs’ death. He changed the world. I knew him a little and admired him entirely. Love to Apple and his family.”
Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister: “Steve Jobs was an extraordinary and creative human being, an inspiration and an innovator who believed that by the power of ideas the world could be transformed. As much as anyone in any walk of life in the early 21st century he changed people’s lives simply by imagination and determination. His memory will serve as a symbol of what the human mind can achieve.” –

PCWorld/telegraph.co.uk/AFP/ computerworld.com/Wikipedia/The Herald.