Google's Display of Class and Humanity
In the ultimate sign of respect for the passing of a tech industry titan, Google's home page today features the simplest of epitaphs:
What makes it all the more meaningful is that Steve Jobs' name is hyperlinked to Apple's home page, rather than to Google's own compilation of news on Jobs' death—a noteworthy move for the Web company, which, of course, measures its success by tracking metrics such as click-throughs and time on site.
When reached for comment, the Google team shared this statement from Google Inc. Chairman and former Apple board member Eric Schmidt: "Today is very sad for all of us. Steve defined a generation of style and technology that's unlikely to be matched again. Steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible, and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history."
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin posted their own tributes to Jobs on Google's social network, Google+.
"I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google's are with his family and the whole Apple family," Page wrote.
"From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. 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.
"On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple," Brin wrote.
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