Steve Jobs tendered his resignation today as Apple CEO to the board of directors, citing the fact that he no longer can serve efficiently in such position, obviously eluding to his deteriorated health. Those who know me are familiar with my passion for Apple – a passion that started way back before Apple was cool – and the admiration I have for Steve Jobs. I have been mesmerized to see Apple grow the way it has, always setting the bar to impossible heights, and yet managing to over achieve and repetitively beating all Wall Street’s expectations. Although undoubtedly Steve Jobs has surrounded himself with incredible talents who should receive much of the credit for Apple success, the man’s vision and ability to execute it has been literally, well… magical. One lacks superlatives when trying to describe the impact that Apple has had on our society during the last decade, as it has helped shape many aspects of our way of life. This impact has rippled far beyond Apple’s customer base (or ‘Apple fanboys’): Apple has forced its competitors to never rest and always try harder, in order to stay competitive and I would venture to assert that Blackberries, Windows 7, Androids, Kindles, Amazon, and other personal computers to name a few, are far better products today than they would be without Apple products consistently nagging their creators with their impossible superiority. One says that new ideas are worth pennies by the pound, but it is Apple’s ability to bring them to life that has been most impressive, let alone its ability to supply and market them in staggering quantities to the four corners of the world. Steve Jobs departs at the peak of Apple’s glory. Last week, Apple briefly became the most valuable company in the world with a market capitalization exceeding a third of a trillion dollar. According to Fortune, his company is the most admired company in the world. Apple cash reserves exceed those of the US government. Recession or not, Apple retail stores are always packed. During the holiday season, it is quite a spectacle to see iPods and iPhones flying off the shelves faster than 50-cent baguettes in a French bakery on a Sunday morning after church. Enough said, like Apple and Steve Jobs or not, one cannot contemplate the achievements and the legacy without a sense of awe. So today is indeed a sad day. Apple is losing its creator and a true legend. Farewell Steve Jobs, and good luck Tim Cook. You have big shoes to fill.

OK… that was ‘welcome’ in about 120 languages. I hope no-one feels excluded now.