In an exclusive two-part interview with SunSpot, Apple Computer’s co-founder discusses Steve Jobs and the company’s roots. Read the first part here.
A Conversation with Steve Wozniak
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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It is a shame that someone this interesting and golbally important to the world of computers has to answer so many questions about the other Steve.
Without Woz, where would we be today?
His creative mind helped kickstart an industry that feeds many of us and provides much of our entertainment. We owe him a great deal of respect.
Jobs was the marketing and vision guy without whom Woz’s creations would never have seen the light of day, so he deserves an equal ammount of credit. But people don’t do every interview with Jobs to the tune of “What’s Woz really like?”
It goes to show that Steve Jobs is an arrogant egotistical asshole. Nothing new there.
What strikes me from the interview is how humble Steve Wozniak is. And how much he cares about normal people. If anyone at Apple really was about “the rest of us”, it was Steve Wozniak, not Steve Jobs.
I think that if Woz still had some clout at Apple, we’d see cheaper machines as well as a low-end headless iMac with slots. Woz understands that people want useful computers at an affordable price. Jobs is all about selling luxury computing to elitist snobs.
I agree, Mutiny!
Still have an Apple II Gs signed by WoZ at home… It’s nearly 20 years old, in excellent condition (not a single part is failing) and still kicks ass!
The Apple II Gs was running a high-res mouse-based OS in color while the Macs were still black-and-white (grayscale)…
Damn, those were the days!!!
Tek_No
he loved building computers, but Apple customers have less control that anyone else to customise their own machines exactly the way they want them. Oh well.
I agree with you about Job’s “personality”, Michael 🙂
Woz is the man. His engineering skills are legendary. The Us Festival concerts in 82 and 83 are legendary. He invented the home pc. In the interviews or documentarys I have seen he is a funny, caring and good human being. Anyone that teaches young kids after doing as much as he has done is a great human being. Also I really respect that after becoming a multimillionaire he went back to berkeley to finish his engineering degreee. Where most would not of. Woz you are the man. I wish more people were like you.
Woz is a truly beautiful person.
I think they ask about Jobs so much because they’re trying to understand why Jobs is the guy in control and because Jobs would never agree to do an interview like this.
Way too focused on Jobs… shame really. Well, looking forward to part 2
DaaT
I think both Woz and Steve had EQUAL contributions to the industry… Woz transended the cost needed to build a powerful computer, and steve transended the idea that “computers” could be used for “personal use”… Just for fun, take a look at their .Mac homepages…
http://homepage.mac.com/woz
http://homepage.mac.com/steve
Woz’s is just a download (didnt get it), and I highly doubt that it’s actually Steve that made the Steve one. From my recollection, Apple bought NeXT in 1996, but his “resume” says 1997.
“From my recollection, Apple bought NeXT in 1996, but his “resume” says 1997.”
They announced the merger in the last week of 1996, I am pretty sure things did not get completed until 1997. Of course you may know better than Steve himself….
OK, i wasnt aware of the exact date, guess i’m not enough of a NeXT fanatic (though my friends would say otherwise). I’m not claiming to know more than Steve, he’s an awesome guy, and i have a lot of respect for him… i’m just questioning whether that’s his real .mac homepage. The beach photos look like professional images, I have no clue what his family looks like so i cant say if the people in the pictures are related to him. The graduation photos look rather real though, though he’s not in any of them.
Whenever he is on the screensavers it’s a must see.
But I agree with some posters, Woz should have more say.
As for customizing Macs.. Heck people do it all the time.
People have made cases out of Legos
People have made mods on theie cases
There are overclocking hacks and all sorts of stuff.
It is simply incomplete to say that Steve Jobs is egotistical. If he was just egotistical, people like Steve Wozniak would not bother to keep in touch with him. If you haven’t read it already, I highly suggest reading “The Second Coming of Steve Jobs” by Alan Deutschman. It will paint a more compete portrait of Jobs. Now, back to the Woz. He is an example of the perfect hacker (and I mean that in the sense of “Slashdot hacker” as opposed to “criminal hacker”). A hacker pushes the envelope and that is what the Woz has been doing all his life. Plus, he’s just a great person to boot.
Apple customers have less control that anyone else to customise their own machines exactly the way they want them.
troll
This is a serious question.
Can you build a Mac compatible from freely available parts and then buy MAC OS X and boot it up and run it?
Yes you can.
Here is the TechTV link on how to do it
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/macintosh/story/0,24330,3411914,…
Here is another link:
http://www.macopz.com/buildamac/
In fact here is a guy who will see you a motherboard and a PC case with powersupply, you supply what kind of processer you want
http://www.2khappyware.com
Here is a guy who make a Lego Mac
http://www.apple-juice.co.uk/lego/
Here is a guy with some cool case Mods
http://www.kentsalas.com/blueiceg4/
This is the full link for the guy who will sell you a motherboard and a PC case with powersupply, you supply what kind of processer you want
http://www.2khappyware.com/order/
Why are interchangability and price the only measures of computer quality for some people?
No, you can’t “build” a Mac and install OS X on it. With good reason- MacOS X is designed to run on Apple-controlled hardware. This way, Apple customers get unmatched stability and compatibility. And they pay for it. Most Mac users see this as a strength and not a weakness.
—-
Can you build a Mac compatible from freely available parts and then buy MAC OS X and boot it up and run it?
ah man the memories which come roaring back about the US festival. I went to both and had a great time but spent way too much money and got sun burnt both times. But I had a great time.
Wozniak was and still is the man!
“No, you can’t “build” a Mac and install OS X on it. ”
Um, look up.
“With good reason- MacOS X is designed to run on Apple-controlled hardware. This way, Apple customers get unmatched stability and compatibility. And they pay for it. Most Mac users see this as a strength and not a weakness. ”
I rather doubt he’s going to be calling Apple up and start complaining about the “stability and compatibility” they didn’t sell him.
And there’s nothing “trollish” about that.
Please don’t kill me, but apple hardware just sux, and this just because of the price/performance ratio…
on a 3000k apple G4 UT 2003 runs way slower (like in slow motion), than on my Athlon 2200+.
By Patrick,
“No, you can’t “build” a Mac and install OS X on it. With good reason- MacOS X is designed to run on Apple-controlled hardware.”
Yes you could build a Mac and install OS X on it. There’s nothing from stopping you from doing so other than maybe the lack of technical skills, knowledge and the high cost. It wouldn’t be worthwhile but it can be done.
“This way, Apple customers get unmatched stability and compatibility.”
The only reason Apple controls the hardware is to put more money in their pockets (re: the clone wars). Apple isn’t that concerned about stability. Otherwise, if you remember, they would never have released all those defective cubes or stuck with that wacky cooperative multitasking OS for as long as they did. QC is something that seems to come as an afterthought. Apple always reminds me of the “You look marvelous skits” from Saturday Night Live.
As for compatibility, well one would hope Apple is compatible with their own stuff. But even they aren’t always successful on there own systems. Least we forget, the iTunes fiasco of a year or two ago that was removed from thier site after a couple of days because it messed up the partition table.
“And they pay for it. Most Mac users see this as a strength and not a weakness.”
I have to agree but que sera, sera.
wasting their time with trying to suck Apple’s ass. People, get over it and get back to your silly Windows world.
Strange, there’s only one $3000+ PM and it has two Gigs of RAM. Is this really the machine you are testing on? Are you using the price tag for a PM from four years ago?
Do you wish to be credible in any way?
I had the pleasure of talking with the Woz in e-mail awhile back. I have to say, the man impresses me to no end.
Can’t wait to see what he will do in the future.
eljodon:
wasting their time with trying to suck Apple’s ass. People, get over it and get back to your silly Windows world.
Oh my god!! You added so much to the conversation!!!1!!!11!!!11!!!!