Steve Jobs, dead at 56

If there ever was a way to bring Apple fans – and tech-lovers in general – quickly back to earth after going through the ‘geek highs’ of a big iPhone event, it’s this: Steve Jobs has passed away today, shorty after retiring as CEO of Apple, and a day after the unveiling of the iPhone 4S. While we all knew that this day would come – the thought was jolted into everyone after his retirement announcement – we all still can’t help but be shocked and saddened by the news. Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent out a memo to Apple employees about the loss and a plan for a company celebration to honor Steve’s life. [available after the break]

From Tim Cook:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

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.

Tim

We’re not connected in any way to Apple. As far as they’re concerned, we’re just a group of schmucks who love gadgets and use consumer technology to get through the day. Like millions of other people around the world, we’re just ordinary Joes who use Apple products to fling cartoon birds at pigs or listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird. Nevertheless, we’re affected by the loss of Steve Jobs as well, because this visionary helped change the way we do things.

And even if you don’t buy or use Apple products, you should still thank this guy. Because every time you power up a personal computer or pull out a really sleek notebook from your bag, every time you click on an icon on a user-friendly GUI, every time you use a portable MP3 player or play songs purchased off the net, every time you watch a Pixar animated movie with your kids, every time you use a modern smartphone operating system or fiddle with a downloaded app on your tablet… we can enjoy all that today because it was all part of Steve’s vision and intuition.

Rest in peace, Steve. Thanks for making our everyday lives a little bit easier and a lot more entertaining.