Steve Jobs passed away at 56

[Laemkral]

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, co-founder of Pixar, inventor of the iPod and the legion of devices it has since spawned in both tablet and phone form, and all around visionary, has passed away.

He changed the world, challenged what could and couldn't be done when it came to computing, inspired a new generation of tech companies, and even gave us the animation company that has crafted a library of heart warming movies beloved by children and adults alike.

He will be missed by us all, even those most diehard of Windows fanbois.

[McDuffies]

Though I'm not Mac or iStuff user, I'm thankful for invention of graphic operating systems which Microsoft copied later... typing commands in DOS XP would have been a lot of hassle.

[MixedMyth]

He certainly had his flaws, but those flaws actually made him a terrific business person. Plus....PIXAR! Eeeeeee!

Truly a tragic occurrence. :{ A shame he had to pass so young.

[Corgan_dane]

My favorite tribute has been Patton Oswalt on his twitter: "RIP Steve Jobs. Closest thing we had to Tony Stark."

[Spaceprincess]

He was a rare genius. He made reality things that were pure sci fi. I'm posting from my iPhone. I never imagined something like an iPhone would ever exist in my life time.
My favorite apple product is still the apple 2 e. I used them from kindergarten through high school.
If you haven't seen " pirates of silicon valley" you should. Its a great bio pic that doesnt sugar coat his flaws.

[Warren]

I'm sorry he's gone, even if he was a bit of a douche in life.

[Toxic]

I cried a little bit when I heard. He was just a brilliant human being. As a tribute I will now recap some of his best inventions and innovations:

*The token accomplishments: the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad
*The ubiquitous but overlooked accomplishments: the GUI, trackpads, Wifi, Final Cut Pro, iTunes store
*Basically bringing the technology of Star Trek to life. Next up: voice controlled computers, holograms, wireless power, teleportation, universal translators
*Killing off hardware and software in the midst of its prime in the name of progress: the floppy drive, beige enclosures, CRT monitors, dial-up modems, Flash, optical discs, hard drives, scrollbars
*The "One more thing..." surprise announcements
*Uniform wardrobes
*Blunt emails without greetings or salutations

[Brockway]

Steve Jobs was a horrible human being. His stolen patents include GUI, Icons, Minimalist design (WTF), and multi-touch (designed 10 years before.) The world is a marginally better place now that that patent stealing absentee parent has died. Hopefully Apple follows suit.

[Toxic]

Good artists borrow, great artists steal

[McDuffies]

Wow, now that's a half-assed defense if I've ever heard one.

[Laemkral]

Good artists borrow, great artists steal

Wow, now that's a half-assed defense if I've ever heard one.

ESPECIALLY SINCE HE STOLE IT FROM ME!

[Spaceprincess]

Steve Jobs was a horrible human being. His stolen patents include GUI, Icons, Minimalist design (WTF), and multi-touch (designed 10 years before.) The world is a marginally better place now that that patent stealing absentee parent has died. Hopefully Apple follows suit.

It's this kind of nerd rage that made me want to use apple in the first place. I didn't want to be That kind of nerd. Thanks for reenforcing the stereotype.

[Mastermind]

People wouldn't have a problem with (many) Apple fans if they weren't so crazy about it, claiming that their products are some incredible inventions. I eyerolled the obnoxious apple on Candi's laptop, imagine writing TOSHIBA all around your comic. But then there was that weird iPhone storyline and that was just creepy. I like my Toshiba computer, Sandisc music player and Sony phone. But I'd never say that it's unbelievable such wonders exist.
Not saying it was right for Brockway to phrase his point like that, seeing that it could upset somebody.

My thoughts on Jobs: if the whole world fights over whether you're good or evil, put your trollface on, because you know how to get shit done.

[RobboAKAscooby]

I like my Toshiba computer, Sandisc music player and Sony phone. But I'd never say that it's unbelievable such wonders exist.

I had a Sandisk sansa for ages until it died and I was forced to buy an ipod because it was the only decent mp3 player I could find in my local stores.

[Spaceprincess]

People wouldn't have a problem with (many) Apple fans if they weren't so crazy about it, claiming that their products are some incredible inventions.

most fans (of anything) seem annoying and full of puffery if its for something you don't like, that doesn't justify hatred because you're not a fan.

[Mastermind]

Nobody hates just because they're not fans. Right or wrong, there's always a reason. Maybe you guys should try and prove your points to each other, now that would be interesting. but there's too much emotion here for that to work.

[Laemkral]

I think Steve Jobs is one of the original trolls. Why else would he release the original iPod as a Mac only item? U Jelly, PC users?? Turns out, yeah, they were. Really, the whole history of the PC/Mac thing is like a giant walking meme.

Scumbag Microsoft: Destroys competition with software that dominates the industry. Invests in competition to keep from being called a monopoly.
Yao Ming (F*ck that) Rageface: Original iMac "Floppy drive?" *face*
Challenge Accepted: Apple going bankrupt? Steve Jobs!
Original iMac = NyanMac
And for the LONGEST time....Apple, Y U NO USE INTEL PROCESSORS??

etc.
etc.

I've been a Mac fanboi since the IIe, but at least I can laugh at myself.

[McDuffies]

I like the fact that someone pitched in with different perspective. Jobs was, to put it mildly, controversial figure, and overwhelming positive sentiment sounds rather insincere. I mean, knowing how much people hated his guts, it's another one of those "somebody dies, everyone has a sudden change of hearts" deal.
I do believe that Jobs will be remembered for a few great things, while majority of things people are name-checking now are no more than fancy gadgets that people will hold on to for a few years, that only seem revolutionary because their advertisements say so, another in unending row of distractions from the fact that Apple, long ago, lost a race to IBM. In long term, it's yet to be seen how much of his achievement really stands the test of time, and to debate how many things ascribed to Jobs would have been invented without him anyway. Most of all, people forget that Jobs is not so much a genius as a person who employed a couple thousands of geniuses, while he is just the face behind their achievements, a charismatic showman who sold the product by playing that "cool guy despite being the millionaire" role in media. To hail his achievements is completely appropriate, but I think that a word 'genius' which is being thrown around so much, is grossly misused. He wasn't a genius, just a good enterpreneur.
I was pretty much indifferent to all apple vs pc thing until I actually had business with macs. I always thought, pc and mac are two different beasts, each has their perks, pc suits me better, live and let live. Then I had to deal with mac and realised, it's every bit as unstable, corruptible and generally shitty as pc is, except it's more expensive and complicated to maintain. Perks that Mac allegedly had were all made up by it's marketing department. It's reputation was all in branding, in market positioning, but quality of actual machines, or services alltogether, neve lived up to it. I became more and more convinced that mac's fandom was really all about people believing that by using mac they actually become a part of some elite, and who doesn't want to be a part of elite, especially if entrance is as easy as shelling out money. If it wasn't grooming such obsessive, brand-related customer base, mac would probably be taking every bit as much criticism as Microsoft does from pc users.

most fans (of anything) seem annoying and full of puffery if its for something you don't like, that doesn't justify hatred because you're not a fan.

No, but the fact that Apple pretty much manufactured and incouraged it's fan's attitudes does justify it. Apple sells it's products by grooming an army of people who think they prove their self-worth by which electrical appliance they own, every bit of hatred towards them comes as a product of that business strategy.

[kolyyu22]

Although Steve was no doubt a visionary and a genius, I am slightly disappointed that he hadn't rigged it so that all Apple products simultaneously exploding upon his death.