Call them rivals, dual visionaries, or whatever you want – there’s no doubt that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are both titans of the tech field.

With Jobs’ passing this evening, Gates has issued a statement:

I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.

Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.

For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.

You can see that Gates had immense respect for Jobs, a man who changed the way all of us live and the way all of us interact with the technology that powers our lives. Jobs was 56.

Here’s a video of the two making a rare joint appearance at the All Things Digital D5 conference a few years ago –