New York - Consumer electronics industry reaction to the death of Steve Jobs came quickly today.

Gary Shapiro
President and CEO
 CEA:
"CEA extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Steve Jobs. We join the entire tech community in celebrating his momentous contributions to making our lives better through innovative products and leadership at the company he loved so much that is beloved by so many. Our thoughts are with the entire Apple family in this difficult time."

Brian Dunn
CEO
Best Buy
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. He has had an indelible influence on the way we use technology in our lives. Steve was a visionary leader who was able to see the world in ways that others were unable to see. Under Steve's leadership, Apple has been a great partner to Best Buy and we will miss him. Beyond that, Steve's mark on the connected world as we know it today - making technology smart, simple and empowering - will leave a lasting legacy that will continue to influence technology well into the future. For that, all of us, whether Apple users or not, should be forever grateful."

Howard Stringer
Chairman
Sony:
"The digital age has lost its leading light, but Steve's innovation and creativity will inspire dreamers and thinkers for generations."

Meg Whitman
CEO
Hewlett-Packard:
"Steve Jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond Silicon Valley. He will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world."

Yuanqing Yuan
CEO
Lenovo:
"Today the world lost one of its greatest innovators and visionaries with the passing of Steve Jobs. His achievements are unmatched in our time. We admired his spirit, his creativity and his passion. He not only changed the technology industry, he changed the world and made it better.

Jeff Bezos
CEO
Amazon.com:
"Steve was a teacher to anyone paying attention, and today is a very sad day for everyone who cares about innovation and high standards."

John Chambers
CEO
Cisco:
"The world lost a true visionary and great man today. Steve Jobs did more than simply shape our concepts of technology and invention, he helped define our understanding of how great innovation and design can bring people closer together. I, and everyone at Cisco, am deeply saddened by Steve's loss. Our deepest sympathies go out to his colleagues and family. We'll miss you, Steve, but your legacy will continue forever."



Bill Gates
Founder
Microsoft:
"I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.
Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more t

 

Joe Taylor
Chairman & CEO
Panasonic Corporation of North America
"Steve Jobs' personal vision, unrelenting determination and uncompromising execution lead to the personal and professional delight of millions of individuals and businesses in Apple's products and services . What a legacy, what an inspiration to designers, inventors and creators around the globe!" han half our lives.
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.
For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Henry Wang
Spokesman
Acer:
"His passing away is a great loss to Apple as well as the industry, although the impact of his departure remains to be seen."

Matthew Shay
President and CEO
National Retail Federation:
"The National Retail Federation and the entire retail industry mourn news of the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs, one of the most innovative leaders of our time who created an iconic retail brand through innovation and design. In a challenging economy, Jobs and the entire Apple team invented discretionary products that many Americans now consider necessities, from the iPod to the iPhone and the iPad. As a prime example of modern day ingenuity and creativity, Steve Jobs offered the world an inside look at what the future of consumer electronics can and will become, with generations of consumers now able to thank him for his brilliant innovations. He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire retail companies for decades to come."

Dr. Jong-seok Park
President and CEO
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
"Steven Jobs was, and still is, an inspiration to many individuals and companies all over the world. His passing is a loss to innovators and visionaries everywhere, even here in Korea, and the culture he fostered will be a benchmark for decades to come."

Apple's Board of Directors
"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."

Statement by Steve Jobs' Family:
"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
"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."

Mark Cuban

Founder

HDNet:
"The PC era is officially over. #RIP #SteveJobs"

Senator Chris Dodd
Chairman/CEO
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA):
"The genius of Steve Jobs, a man I've known for 40 years, not only brought to life the visual magic and brilliant storytelling of Pixar, but brought the world one of the most innovative and successful platforms to make movies and TV available online at the click of a mouse.  He was a pioneer, and helped all of us better understand how technologists and creators can work together to enrich and enliven our shared world.  If anyone ever wonders whether one person can make a difference, the answer is Steve Jobs.  He will be deeply, deeply missed." 

Jeff Kagan
Industry analyst:
"What we feared has come true. We lost Steve today. He was an inspirational leader that changed our lives and an entire industry. In fact several industries. Computers, music, smart phones and whatever comes next. Steve Jobs and Apple were interchangeable brand names."

 

Randall Stephenson
Chairman and CEO
AT&T:
"We are saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was an iconic inventor, visionary, and entrepreneur, and we had the privilege to know him as partner and friend. All of us at AT&T offer our thoughts and prayers to Steve's wife, family and his Apple family."

 

Dean Garfield

President and CEO

Information Technology Industry Council (ITI):

"Steve Jobs exemplified the greatness, potential and innovative spirit of America. His contributions, which have touched hundreds of millions of people worldwide, will live on for generations. He was an extraordinary leader who helped inspire a revolution that changed our lives forever." 

 

John Lasseter and Ed Catmull

Pixar

"Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time."

 

G.S. Choi
CEO
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is saddened to hear of Chairman Steve Jobs' passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences.
Chairman Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur.
His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world.
We would like to again express our sincerest condolences to Mr. Jobs' family and his colleagues.

 

Keith Lehmann
Senior VP
Kenwood's CE sector

Jobs "gave people products they never knew they wanted, and they loved them." He had an innovator's vision, enabling him to "know what people want before they know they want it."
The iPod and iPhone, he added, "was a major game changer" in the car audio aftermarket, leading to head units that select the songs stored on a connected iPod or iPhone.

Gary Bart
CEO
Stem Innovation:

"In my own career, mostly making products for Apple customers, Steve was a guiding light. Without his conscious awareness, Steve has been my mentor. I hope my efforts from this moment forward pay appropriate tribute to possibly the greatest innovator the world will ever know."

 

Paul Griffin
Founder
Griffin Technology

"Steve Jobs saw, more clearly than anybody else, how technology applies to our lives, the lives of everyday people. All the computing power in the world would not be able to calculate the impact of Steve Jobs' vision on our lives. We continue to honor and celebrate his achievement.

"On behalf of Griffin Technology, I extend our condolences to Steve Jobs' family, his colleagues, and others close to him."

 

Alan Yeung
co-founder
AViiQ

 

"Steve Jobs was a true visionary. Even though he's left us with an incredible legacy, it is still hard to imagine the potential of what's undiscovered. Our design-driven approach to product development is just one of the countless ripples created by his dent in the universe. We will miss him."