Steve Jobs, Apple visionary, dead at 56

Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder who understood before anyone else how deeply we would live our lives through our devices, has died at the age of 56, only weeks after resigning as chief executive of the company in the midst of his battle with pancreatic cancer.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FILE: Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds up the new iPhone that was introduced at Macworld on January 9, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Jobs, 56, passed away October 5, 2011 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 and is credited, along with Steve Wozniak, with marketing the world's first personal computer in addition to the popular iPod, iPhone and iPad. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

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Steve Jobs introduced a new iPhone at Macworld in 2007.

In 1983, Apple unveiled a desktop computer called Lisa, which featured a graphical user interface.

Boston Globe

In 1983, Apple unveiled a desktop computer called Lisa, which featured a graphical user interface.

Jobs (left) and Wozniak (right) unveiled the Apple IIc computer in 1984, the company's first attempt at making a portable computer.

AP File Photo

Jobs (left) and Steve Wozniak (right) unveiled the Apple IIc computer in 1984, the company's first attempt at making a portable computer.

San Francisco...Personal computer industry pioneer Steve Jobs unveils his Next computer workstation at a press conference in San Francisco as Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, right, looks on. Jobs, who founded Apple Computer, says the comupter, into which Perot has invested more than $20 million, will eventually sell for commercial use for about $10,000. October, 1988 PHOTO CREDIT: Associated Press

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After leaving Apple following a power struggle with the company's board, Jobs founded NeXT, Inc., in 1985, which developed computers for businesses and schools.

Steve Jobs, right, the former co-founder and chairman of Apple Computer, talks about his plans for Apple's new system software as Apple Computer Inc.'s chairman Gil Amelio, left, looks on at the MacWorld trade show in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 1997. Apple recently acquired Next Software Inc. which was run by Jobs. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

AP File Photo

In 1997, Apple bought out NeXt, bringing Jobs back to the company. In September of that year, Jobs would be named interim CEO.

In 1998, Jobs unveiled the iMac, which was an all-in-one version of the Macintosh line of computers that began in 1984.

AP File Photo

In 1998, Jobs unveiled the iMac, which was an all-in-one version of the Macintosh line of computers that began in 1984.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FILE: Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds up the new iPhone that was introduced at Macworld on January 9, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Jobs, 56, passed away October 5, 2011 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 and is credited, along with Steve Wozniak, with marketing the world's first personal computer in addition to the popular iPod, iPhone and iPad. (Photo by )

David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Steve Jobs introduced a new iPhone at Macworld in 2007.

Jobs helped usher in the era of tablet computing by unveiling the iPad on Jan. 27, 2010.

REUTERS File

Jobs helped usher in the era of tablet computing by unveiling the iPad on Jan. 27, 2010.

(FILES): This June 6, 2011 file photo shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing Apples next generation computer operating system Mac OS X Lion, the mobile operating system iOS 5, and the internet storage service iCloud during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Apple on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 announced the death of its visionary co-founder Steve Jobs from cancer at 56.

KIMIHIRO HOSHINO/AFP/Getty Images

Jobs was noticably thinner in his last few public appearances. Here, he is shown at an Apple event in June.

Cambridge, MA 091411 Star of Steve Jobs (cq) and 6 others will be unveiled Friday as part of MIT's entrepreneurs hall of fame in Kendall Square, Wednesday, September 14 2011. (Globe Staff Photo/Wendy Maeda) section: Business slug: 16mit reporter: Kathleen Pierce

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff Photo

Last month, Jobs was one of six tech pioneers honored by MIT's Entrepreneurs Walk of Fame in Kendall Square, Cambridge.

Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs waves at the conclusion of the launch of the iPad 2 on stage during an Apple event in San Francisco, California in this March 2, 2011 file photograph. Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on October 5, 2011 at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach (UNITED STATESSCI TECH BUSINESS - Tags: OBITUARY BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY PROFILE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) SCI TECH )

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Jobs, shown here during the March unveiling of the iPad 2, died at the age of 56, just weeks after resigning as Apple CEO.

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MANCHESTER, NH - SEPTEMBER 05: Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin waves during a Tea Party Express rally on September 5, 2011 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Hundreds of people attended the rally that is part of the 'Reclaiming America' bus tour traveling through 19 states and visiting 29 cities before arriving in Tampa, Florida for a presidential debate co-sponsored by CNN on September 12. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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