Java creator remembers Steve Jobs

The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs at56 has left people around the world in mourning.

Jobs had been fighting a public battle with pancreatic cancer and other health issues for several years, resigning as chief executive of Apple last August.

He is credited with helping his company transform everyday technologyfrom the personal computer to items such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad.

Former Calgary resident James Gosling knows firsthand about the impact Jobs had on the industry.

Born just outside of Calgary and a formerstudent at the University of Calgary, Gosling is the founder of Javaa programming language that revolutionized the use of daily computing.

He is now the chief software architect at Liquid Robotics.

"People were really sad about it but it's been expected," he told CBC's Eyeopener Thursday from his home in Redwood City, Calif.

"No one thought that this was a surprise. When he stepped down we all knew. He was Apple and Apple was him. Nothing could tear that company out of his hands other than death."

While Gosling never worked with Jobs directly, or for Apple, he interviewed with him three times over the years for jobs at Apple and always went away going "smart guy, but he was too hard to work with."

Gosling said Jobs daughter Eve also went to the same elementary school, in the same grade, as his youngest daughter.

"Eve was a good kid to have over for birthday parties," he said.

"Jobs really thrilled the third grade class when he showed up to give an iPhone demo the day after it was announced. I'm not sure what impressed the kids most: the gizmo or his infectious enthusiasm."

Gosling said Jobs was a hard worker, a quintessential Silicon Valley guy with an absolute unwavering commitment to quality.

"He always did things that were beautiful and you just wanted to look at and touch," said Gosling.

"He was completely uncompromising when it came to his people and finding designs. He would take his time with things and make sure they were perfect. Apple only ever had one person in their focus groups and that was him."

Gosling saidJobs left a really strong culture at Apple.

"He's really the guy responsible for everything," he said. "It is a strong company and how they find their way now is hard to know."

Goslings prediction is that Jobs left Apple a pretty detailed map of the future.

"They'll follow that map to the T I'm sure," he said.