Steve Wozniak Interview on Apple

[MacRumors]

https://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png

NWSource publishes an brief Q&A session with Steve Wozniak, one of the co-founders of Apple Computer.

"I didn't want to start this company," said Wozniak, known in Silicon Valley simply as "Woz." "My goal wasn't to make a ton of money. It was to build good computers. I only started the company when I realized I could be an engineer forever."

Wozniak reports that even he does not get a "heads-up" on upcoming Apple products and that he "would never ask" because he feels bad about "all the rumors and leaks from the inside." Woz also prefers to avoid the beta-hardware bugs and instead experience finished products like all the other consumers.

Woz also reveals he was only recognized once at an Apple store, and was given two 65-watt AC adapters for free.

According to the article, an autobiography entitled "I, Woz" will be published this fall.

 

[nataku]

looks like Apple employess only bow down to one STEVE!

 

[sunfast]

I can't believe he doesn't get the "heads up" about new stuff. That'd be one of the best bits of working there!

 

[sushi]

Woz is a very a unique and talented person to say the least. His circuit design is legendary.

The Woz, so cool!

The two Steve's are definitely different, that is for sure.

 

[johnbro23]

Woz basically just slammed Boot Camp (the comment he made about beta software). I mean thats the most significant thing Apple has out thats in Beta, right?

 

[mcadam]

2 AC adapters... is that it?! ... after all he's done!!

Edit - from woz.org:

Dear Woz,
When you call Apple to order stuff and you give them your name, do people recognize you and say "Hey, your that dude that created Apple!"

Woz: I order Apple stuff online. I doubt that any human ever sees the names. But once I ordered a gigabit ethernet option. Apple noticed two months later that only two of these had been ordered, both by me! I do get noticed every time I buy shareware, and that brings me a lot of T-shirts that I get good use out of.

... a few free t-shirts and he's happy. Cool guy.

A

 

[timmillwood]

to be honest i wouldnt know him if i saw him and he IS apple, jobs just seems to be a marketing guy

I will be buying the book, and i think he should go back and work with apple!

 

[fixyourthinking]

Of course ... as usual

A report will come out 2-3 days from now with a clarification ...

I don't know why he does these interviews ... most people take him totally out of context or selectively word their interviews with loaded questions that may not have been worded that way to Woz.

 

[Leoff]

I can't believe he doesn't get the "heads up" about new stuff. That'd be one of the best bits of working there!

Woz doesn't work for Apple. He hasn't for a long time.

 

[Leoff]

Woz basically just slammed Boot Camp (the comment he made about beta software). I mean thats the most significant thing Apple has out thats in Beta, right?

How is not wanting to use beta software, software that you've had no hand in designing, "slamming" anything? He simply doesn't wish to test software out on his computers. I'd hardly call that a "slam."

 

[50548]

Woz doesn't work for Apple. He hasn't for a long time.

But as a shareholder, he is still one of the owners...

 

[MrCrowbar]

Did you hear this 30 anniversary podcast? they had Woz among other early days apple guys on VOIP. Woz sounds really like a tech nerd/genius to me. Quite the opposite of Steve (Jobs).

 

[backspinner]

I'd like two 65-watt AC adapters.

hehe, he's a real engineer

 

[Butler Trumpet]

i just woke up when i read it, i thought it was me...haha, so i skipped that line, it made my head hurt

HAHA! I did the exact same thing... thought "Oh, I just cant read right now", and went on to the next line!

very nice

 

[dornoforpyros]

uhh I read this like a month ago. This article isn't new, it's a good read, I'm just not sure why it's being posted now.

 

[F14CRAZY]

From what I've read, technically, he's still on the Apple payroll. He just isn't paid. And doesn't do anything. Just a symbolic thing.

 

[Demon Hunter]

That's really sad no one at the stores recognize him. It proves my theory that Apple retail hires a bunch of schmucks, who don't know Mac SE from Quadra. If they sell AppleCare, that's all that matters.

Personally, I would be ecstatic... hug him, get him to autograph my limbs, my PowerBook, etc.

 

[Chaszmyr]

to be honest i wouldnt know him if i saw him and he IS apple, jobs just seems to be a marketing guy

There is so much more to it than that, especially since 1997.

 

[lukesb1982]

Recognize

Woz is a cool guy, but he gets recognized more than he leads on. I worked at the Santa Clara Apple store for two years and saw him in there atleast once a month. Everytime he came in the entire store recognized him and he loved every minute of it. Even customers came up to him for autographs. Sometimes we had to keep them away so he could shop. I think I've sold him about 4 PowerBooks and he never accepts the discount unless it's an educational discount. Cool guy. He carries around a stack of two dollar bills and charges people $3 for two of them and then signs them. If you ever see him in public ask him for one

 

[musiclover137]

Typos anyone? That article was horribly edited

 

[jubjub]

That's really sad no one at the stores recognize him.

" I didn't say anything about who I was. And they bring them out. I say, "How much?" They say, "We are expensing it." I said, "Yeah, but how do I pay for it?" They said, "No, no, no — we are allowed to give gifts to special people.""

 

[ChrisWB]

Woz doesn't work for Apple. He hasn't for a long time.

Woz DOES work for Apple, and has the entire time. He never quit. They have him unoffically represent Apple at various events. Check out Woz.org for more info.

 

[KEL9000]

he never accepts the discount unless it's an educational discount. Cool guy.

he is a third grade teacher now, isn't he?

 

[bankshot]

Woz basically just slammed Boot Camp (the comment he made about beta software). I mean thats the most significant thing Apple has out thats in Beta, right?

Uhhhh, yeah.

When I talk with reporters, I will talk about the pluses and minuses of an issue and, boy, sometimes they like to grab a little minus, twist the words a little, exaggerate it and make a headline.

Notice any similarities here?

 

[phatpat88]

just have to love that guy lol.

now i feel like watching pirtates of silicon valley again