When I saw the headline this morning telling of Steve Jobs’ passing, I wasn’t surprised. His serious illnesses over the last seven years have left everyone wondering how long he could keep fighting against such incredible odds. It was a long battle, but it couldn’t last forever.

I never met Steve Jobs, but, like many others, I feel like I knew him in some small way through the magic of the products he created. Some will argue over his technical contributions to the original Apple Computer, but that’s not an important question. What is important is that he was the man most responsible for the feel of the creations that came out of Apple. Even more importantly, he was the man behind the way these technical marvels made and continue to make us feel.

Apple’s products, the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, all of them, have a unique feel to them. They have created a sense of wholeness and harmony in a sea of technology that often feels incomplete and awkward. Apple’s innovations feel like they were made just for you and me. They have a personal touch and simplicity that makes them more intuitive, more comfortable, more immediately usable, than most of the competition. In most cases, they do just work.

Whatever your feelings about Apple Computer and it’s iconic products, Steve Jobs was a man whose vast creative contributions made the world a better place. Farewell, Steve Jobs.