Poll: Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple, Dies at 56

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer, and the inventor of the user-friendly and widely-used iPod, iPhone, iPad and MacBook has died at the age of 56.

Jobs passed away peacefully with his family by his side, according to an Apple press release.

Jobs relinquished the day-to-day duties of running Apple this year due to illness, but the company and its products all bear his indelible mark.

Jobs had suffered from pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant.

An adopted son of a working class Bay Area family, Jobs was a demanding visionary and perfectionist who created products that attracted large followings and almost messianic unveilings.

Locally, the Shoreline School District with the approval of the voters in its district have purchased MacBook laptops and iPads for use by its middle and high school students to assist in learning and doing projects. In some cases, the iPads being used at Shorewood High School are replacing hardbound textbooks.

Patch editors also use MacBook Pros and the iPhone on a daily basis to write stories, shoot and upload photos and videos and manage budgets.

Meanwhile, the lives of teenagers and others were changed forever with the invention of the iPod, which made it easy to download music and video.