Steve Jobs' Death Mourned at Local Apple Store

Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and other devices in the digital age, died Wednesday at the age of 56.

Jobs' death was announced by Apple, the company that he and his high school friend Stephen Wozniak started in 1976 in a Northern California garage.

Jobs had waged a long and public struggle with cancer, although he continued to introduce new products for a global market in his trademark blue jeans even as he grew gaunt and frail.

He underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2004, received a liver transplant in 2009 and took three medical leaves of absence as Apple’s chief executive before stepping down in August and turning over the helm to Timothy D. Cook, the chief operating officer.

At the in the mall in Sherman Oaks, customers talked openly about Jobs' impact on their lives, although employees said they were told not to comment on his death.

"It's so sad, I feel like I just lost a friend, somebody who really changed my life," said Debbie Stopeck, a customer. "The only reason I bought the iPhone was because of Steve Jobs," said Stopeck, who is an auditor for the state of California.

"It's a loss for the world and a loss for the technology industry," said Mario Cerritos, a customer. "Steve Jobs changed how we looked at these products. He was the first one to really understand the touch screen."

Waiting in line at the Genius Bar, Jack Soll said, "The news floored me. I knew he was sick but I didn't expect this to happen. He was a great man who truly changed the world. He probably can't be replaced."

At that point, a blue-shirted Apple employee stepped in and said, "If you're going to interview people, you will have to step outside. But I must tell you, I am extremely saddened by Steve's death."