San Francisco, Oct 6 (Agencies): Steve Jobs, a legend who gave new meaning to the world of personal computing, music and mobile phones and various other gadgets, passed away on Wednesday October 5 at the age of 56.
The co-founder of Apple Inc struggled a year long with pancreatic cancer.
The world's greatest entrepreneur, at the time of death, was surrounded by his wife and family in Palo Alto in California.
Statements reacting to Jobs' death were released by notable people in the US, including Microsoft's Bill Gates, Walt Disney Company's Bob Iger, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and President Barack Obama.
Steve, gave the world the iPod, iPhone and iPad, after which, he stepped down from the post of chief executive of the company in August handing over his position to Tim Cook.
Apple, in its statement, said, "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."
Apple paid homage to their leader by changing their website to a big black-and-white photograph of him with the caption "Steve Jobs: 1955-2011."
Also flags outside the company's headquarters flew at half mast.
Steve's death comes right one day after the consumer electronics powerhouse unveiled its latest iPhone, the gadget that transformed mobile communications and catapulted Apple to the highest echelons of the tech world.
A college dropout, Buddhist and son of adoptive parents, Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in 1976. The company soon introduced the Apple 1 computer. But it was the Apple II that became a huge success and gave Apple its position as a critical player in the then-nascent PC industry, culminating in a 1980 initial public offering that made Jobs a multimillionaire.
Despite the subsequent success of the Macintosh computer, Jobs' relationship with top management and the board soured. The company removed most of his powers and then in 1985 he was fired.
Apple's fortunes waned after that. However, its purchase of NeXT -- the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- in 1997 brought him back into the fold. Later that year, he became interim CEO and in 2000, the company dropped "interim" from his title.
Forbes estimates Jobs' net worth at $6.1 billion in 2010, placing him in 42nd place on the list of America's richest. It was not immediately known how his estate would be handled.