Its a sad day when anyone dies because of this evil destroyer of bodies and minds, and its even sadder when someone who has been responsible for shaping the world we live in is taken by it. It shows that all the money and rescources that someone possesses are still no defence.
56 is no age at all these days and in these days of constant technological achievement, its ironic that someone who has helped to advance what we do and create and market many of the tools we use to do our work and enjoy ourselves, has been struck down by one of the oldest and most pernicious klllers on the planet.
I'm sitting here typing this on an Apple laptop, and have spent a good deal of the last 25 years earning a living, teaching others and communicating with the world using Apple products. They have become a part of my life. Though far from alone in doing this, Steve Jobs was heavily involved in turning round a struggling and lost company into a global brand that stands for style, innovation and quality with the majority of its products.
The death of well-known people often leaves me unmoved, but this is not the case here. When he and his contemporaries were assembling components in their garages, I doubt few of them would have had thoughts about what their endeavours would lead to. I have no doubt that the contribution that he and his fellow pioneers have made has been immense and has been a profound influence on how the world works.
Many of us ask ourselves "Did we make a difference?" and can struggle to find a satisfactory answer to that. In the case of Steve Jobs, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, and for that reason I am sad that he has died, as I believe he still had much to offer.