Steven Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who changed the computer industry and the way people view technology, died Wednesday at age 56.
The innovative CEO left his position at Apple in August because he was battling pancreatic cancer.
“Steve Jobs was the man who created a revolutionary company that changed the way media is shown to our generation,” Patrick O’Hern, who is currently working towards his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Brown University, said.
In 1976, at age 21, Jobs, along with Steve Wozniak, his friend from high school, co-founded Apple in Jobs’ parents’ garage. Thirty-five years later, Jobs is credited as an inventor or co-inventor on 313 Apple patents.
The iconic man created products that Millenials use every day without a second thought—iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad, just to name a few. His work earned him a fortune estimated by Forbes Magazine of $8.3 billion in 2011.
“In many ways, he’s kind of the personification of the American dream in that he was really someone who understood consumer desire and was able to build something for himself numerous times in the face of odds that were overwhelmingly against him,” said Adam Ouriel, a junior at Middlebury College.
Jobs’ work has impacted an entire generation across the globe. Many Millenials depend on his products and applications for everything, from trivial tasks to operating and managing their own businesses.
Jared Feldman, who graduated from NYU in 2010 with a major in Entertainment, Media and Technology, founded mashwork.com. The company helps brands such as HBO, Ralph Lauren, Adidas, and Starwood Hotels leverage social media through innovative research. Feldman is just one of many entrepreneurs who was influenced by Jobs.
“For starters, my entire generation of entrepreneurs looks up to him,” Feldman said. “He was a masterful communicator, leader and visionary. If a blank canvas is God’s way of telling us being God isn’t so easy, Jobs wasn’t human. To create so much from nothing, to envision products so innovative they define a new category, and to do it all over and over again, is nothing short of unbelievable. What a devastating loss to the tech community and the entire world.”
Carlo Cisco, 24, bought his first Apple laptop as a freshman at the University of Miami in 2005. A devoted Apple user, he emptied his entire savings account in 2006 to invest in the company—an investment he kept until this past summer, when he used the money to fund his current startup,FoodFan.com.
“Anyone who has ever used a PC, mouse, MP3 player, smart phone or tablet device can thank Steve Jobs,” Cisco said. “His innovations revolutionized industries across the board and enabled the creation of thousands of new companies and even new industries—mobile apps, anyone?”
Jobs’ death raises questions about whether or not Apple will be able to maintain its success. But Jobs’ supporters have no doubt that his legacy will continue to influence them for years to come.
“I don’t think that his death will have an impact on how the world uses or views Apple,” O’Hern said. “His influence will go far beyond his time.”
To view the original post, please visit USA TODAY College« New coffee study gives women reason to celebrate Blackberry Blackout: Outage disrupts the academic, social lives of students »