Tributes pour in for Steve Jobs

TECH FIRMS ACROSS THE GLOBE have expressed sadness at the passing of Steve Jobs and thanked the Apple boss for his contribution to the industry.

At Samsung, the Korean giant that is currently involved in a bitter feud with Apple, CEO Choi Gee-sung put aside any differences and said, "Samsung Electronics is saddened to hear of Chairman Steve Jobs' passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences. His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world."

Larry Page, CEO of Google, and Sergey Brin took to their Google+ accounts to express their sadness.

"I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. 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," said Page.

"He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google's are with his family and the whole Apple family."

Sergey Brin added, "From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met. On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple."

Social networking rival and close friend of Jobs, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg posted this message on his wall, "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."

"I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work," wrote Microsoft founder Bill Gates on his blog.

"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 honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer added, "I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work."

"Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend, and I lost a friend and fellow founder" writes Michael Dell, CEO of Dell in a statement issued by his firm. "The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the Apple team."

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Steve Jobs' passing. Many of us have grown up with the products he was instrumental in creating," added Nokia. "His influence touches us not just in our working lives, but in many aspects of what we do day to day - the movies we watch, the computers we write with and the phones we use. For that we are grateful. Our thoughts are with Steve Jobs' family and friends."

President Obama and the First Lady posted a statement to the White House web site. "Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. 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," said the President.

"Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world. 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. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve's wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him." µ