In his trademark black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers, Steve Jobs could have been any man off the street.
But he was arguably the most influential figure in the history of consumer technology.
Mr Jobs, who died yesterday aged 56, is credited with bringing the world the ubiquitous "i" gadgets, the iMac, iPhone, iPod and iPad, that continue to change the way we work and play.
Pupils at New Zealand schools have swapped laptops and computers for iPads, which are also being used for speech therapy and even to communicate with dolphins. Under Mr Jobs' direction, the Apple brand became synonymous with style and ease of use, and its sleek, intuitive gadgets set a new standard for consumer technology devices.
A community of passionate, at-times obsessed, Apple users soon sprang up around the globe, many queuing outside their local electronic stores for the launch of the latest iPhone or iPad.
The iPhone was the first touchscreen, internet-connected mobile to take off globally, and smartphones from other manufacturers have followed its lead in design and features. When the iPad was launched in April 2010, Apple's rivals raced to produce their own versions.
Mr Jobs brought us the gadgets but also the content to play, listen to, watch and use on them, through Apple's online iTunes, App and Mac stores.
For those who don't own a smartphone or a tablet computer, his influence may be less obvious, but it is just as real. He and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak launched the first computer designed for the mass market – the Apple II – in 1977, and introduced a computer that could be controlled with a mouse – rather than typed commands – with the launch of the Macintosh in 1984.
Children and adults have delighted in the animated creations of Pixar – which under Mr Jobs brought films such as Toy Story and A Bug's Life to the world.
He had struggled with health problems since a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2004. Ill health forced him to step back from Apple in August this year.
He regularly justified the higher cost of Apple products, saying in 1985: "When you're a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you're not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You'll know it's there, so you're going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."
Apple aficionados
In the early 1980s, David Empson used his first Apple computer at high school – and never looked back.
Mr Empson co-founded the Wellington Macintosh Society in 1984 and bought an Apple IIGS in 1987. After upgrading to the Macintosh line in 1996, he now has two current model Macs as well as two older models and an iPod, an iPhone and an iPad. "I generally just prefer the way Apple stuff seems to work," he says.
Alchemist Design and Print owner George Hajian joined the Apple fan ranks in 1997 when he bought his first computer, a Macintosh Classic II.
"I've still got a Classic II at home, it's just sitting there. I can't bring myself to throw it away," Mr Hajian says.
Roger Blakeley, chief planning officer at the Auckland Council, met Steve Jobs in 1980. Dr Blakeley was doing a business management degree at Stanford University in California at the time.
"I remember him coming in," Dr Blakeley says. "He was wearing cowboy boots. He took them off and sat cross-legged on the lecture theatre table and shared his vision that every home in the world would have their own personal computer, which was a very bold vision at the time."
Auckland businessman Paul Johnston admitted to some nerves 10 years ago when he first met the man he views as an "absolute icon in the industry".
"He was asking questions about New Zealand and he took your attention 100 per cent. So many people called him crazy, but there were so many things ... where he had a clear vision of what needed to be done and very often he was years ahead of the curve," Mr Johnston says.
- The Dominion Post
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