Although Jobs' death was not unexpected, it prompted a torrent of condolences, remembrances and sad musings on the Internet. On Twitter, the hashtag was instantaneously a trending topic.

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it's been an insanely great honor," Gates said on Twitter. "I will miss Steve immensely."

Google co-founder Sergey Brin credited Jobs as a longtime inspiration. "From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino," he said in an "Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met."

Jobs, also the founder of Pixar Animation Studios, was famously one of the few executives who could bridge the digital divide between Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and in death, he received tributes from both. "Two And A Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher paraphrased a famous Steve Jobs quote, , "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. - Steve Jobs RIP."

The politically connected Jobs was also remembered by his friend, California Governor Jerry Brown, who said, "Steve Jobs was a great California innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish. Few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives."