"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." Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder:
"People sometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he set himself."
Paul Allan, co-founder of Microsoft:
"We've lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn't help but be encouraged by how he persevered."
Steve Case, Founder of AOL:
"I feel honored to have known Steve Jobs. He was the most innovative entrepreneur of our generation. His legacy will live on for the ages."
03:40 Google has added the line "Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011" to its homepage. The Apple founder's name links through to the Apple website.
03:31 Here is timeline of key dates in Jobs' life and work.
03:20 As well as making online tributes, admirers of Jobs have been converging on Apple Stores around the world to pay their respects. Fans have congregated outisde the store on New York's Fifth Avenue, writing notes on the scaffolding, and a bunch of flowers had been laid outside the Apple Store in Sydney.
03:15 Here is Barack Obama's statement in full:
"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.
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 grown-ups 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."
03:03 Twitter has been flooded with reaction to Jobs' death. The site initially struggled with the deluge of tweets. At one point, five of the site's top 10 trending topics were related to Jobs: RIP Steve Jobs, ThankYouSteve, iHeaven, iClouds and Only 56.
Mattchew03 wrote: "It's crazy to think about how many people are sharing the news of Steve Jobs's death using devices he invented."
Techland posted a quote from Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang saying "Steve was my hero growing up."
02:55 US President Barack Obama has remembered Jobs as a visionary and great American innovator.
"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," he said in a statement.
02:50 Here's the view on Jobs' legacy from inside the electronics industry. Computerworld says Jobs was a man of conviction who left an indelible mark on computing and that the sector will never be the same again.
02:40 The Wall Street Journal has republished Jobs' well-known 2005 commencement address at Standford University, in which he reflected on life, career and mortality:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
02:30 Here is the Telegraph obituary for Steve jobs.
02:22 Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder and CEO said on Facebook:
"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.
02:11 This is how Wired.com is remembering Steve Jobs.
02:07 The New York Times has a fascinating piece detailing the Apple patents that list Steve jobs as their inventor.
02:02 Here is the text of the email that Apple CEO Tim Cook sent to staff to announce Jobs' death:
"Team,
I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.
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.
We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much."
01:51 Technology website ZDNet says Jobs revolutionised three industries in his time: computing, music and telecommunications.
01:39 Tributes have started pouring in.
Microsoft Corp co-founder and chairman Bill Gates used the Apple co-founder's own words in his tribute.
"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor,'' Gates said in an e-mailed statement. "I will miss Steve immensely.''
"Insanely great'' was of one of Jobs' favorite expressions.
"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,'' Gates said.
"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.
"I'm truly saddened to learn of (his) death," he said. "Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work."
01:30 Jobs's family later released a statement saying he had died "peacefully surrounded by his family."
"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family," it said.
"We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness.
"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."
01:25 A further statement from the company 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."
"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
01:20 An email address for tributes to Jobs has been set up at rememberingsteve@apple.com
01:15 Steve Jobs' has died aged 56 after a long battle with cancer. His death was announced by Apple in a statement saying: "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."