What Did Legendary Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Mean to You?

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and a giant in the technology industry, died Wednesday. He was 56.

Jobs, who had been treated for pancreatic cancer, died surrounded by family, according to a statement they released.

As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, Apple's homepage had been given over to the memory of Jobs, and Apple had posted the following statement: 

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.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

Statements of mourning are being released by a growing number of political leaders, technology leaders and entertainers, and political leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who said: 

"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."

By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun.  And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. 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.

Wired.com dressed its page in black and featured comments on Jobs' legacy from Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, and Roger Ebert. 

BoingBoing.net turned its website into a graphic of the original Macintosh desktop. 

The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post, and Slate are featuring in-depth obituaries on Jobs, as is the San Jose Mercury News — the hometown paper for Apple Headquarters. 

On Twitter, an outpouring of grief from loyal customers posted second by second under hashtags: RIP Steve Jobs, #ThankyouSteve, and #iSad.

In Pittsburgh, local tech leaders expressed their sadness at his passing in the Pittsburgh Business Times, including Sean Ammirati, COO of ReadWriteWeb and Pittsburgh Technology Council President Audrey Russo.

The Pittsburgh area has three Apple stores — one in Shadyside, one in South Hills Village and one at the Ross Park Mall, which opened in 2010. 

The Byham Theater has scheduled a showing of "The Agony and The Ecstacy of Steve Jobs" in January, with tickets currently on sale. Actor Mike Daisey performs, telling the story of "our love affair with devices and the human cost of creating them."