IT world remembers Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs' death will leave a gaping hole in the technology industry, and as the news broke on Wednesday his peers took to social networks to share their thoughts and memories about the Apple figurehead.

Tech firms such as Yahoo and HP sent messages on behalf of their organisations, while others preferred the personal touch.

"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it's been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely," tweeted former Microsoft boss Bill Gates.

Current Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer also paid tribute in a statement.

"I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work," he said

Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff wrote on Twitter: "Steve Jobs was the greatest leader our industry has ever known. We are all blessed by his life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Google's Larry Page used Google+ to share his thoughts. "I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance," he wrote.

"He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google's are with his family and the whole Apple family."

"My thoughts go out to Steve Jobs' family and friends. Thank you for changing our world," tweeted Arianna Huffington founder of The Huffington Post.

President Obama, meanwhile, described Jobs as a visionary and one of the greatest American innovators.

"[Steve was] brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," Obama said.

"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."

Michael Dell, whose company's machines Steve Jobs once described as "un-innovative beige boxes", also paid tribute.

"Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the Apple team," Dell tweeted.