Apple co-founder offered first computer design to HP 5 times
During a guided tour of a newly renovated computer museum, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak highlighted the fact that he had offered his original design for the Apple I personal computer to his former employer, HP, 5 times, but was turned down each time.
Wozniak was invited last week by the soon-to-reopen Computer History Museum to give a guided tour to the press. During the tour, Wozniak waxed nostalgic on several early devices, including his own Apple I and Apple II designs, that were influential to the development of the personal computer and other modern devices, MarketWatch reports.
Reiterating comments he made in London at a recent auction of a rare Apple I computer in excellent condition, which sold for $174,000, Wozniak told reporters that he hadn't designed the original Apple I computer to "make a lot of money." "I gave away my designs for free," he said.
The Woz, as he has come to be known, sees the iPhone as the current culmination of computing progress. "As expensive as it looks," he said of an early adding machine, "we wouldn't have our iPhones today if we hadn't started with devices like this." "In our past, there were applications for computers that made an iPhone worth a trillion dollars, and those applications caused these machines to be built, which took us on the path that led to today's iPhone," Wozniak continued.
When asked what new device he expected to see in the Computer History Museum, Wozniak told All Things Digital, "We've got to approach the iPhone someday. That was really the start of smartphones done the right way."
During the tour, Wozniak related the story of one of his first collaborative projects with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. After Wozniak built his own version of Pong, one of the earliest video games, Jobs then took the game to Atari and got a job. "They had Steve working at night so he wouldn't be around other people," joked Wozniak.
"Then he got us a job," Wozniak continued, "I designed the first Breakout game for Atari. So I didn't really work there. They tried to hire me, but I said 'Never leave Hewlett Packard, I love my company, I'm loyal.'" Wozniak added that it took them 4 straight days and nights to design the game. "We both got the sleeping sickness, mononucleosis," said Wozniak.
His loyalty to Hewlett Packard made him reluctant to leave the company to start Apple with Jobs. Wozniak reminded reporters last week at the Computer History Museum that he had proposed his idea for the Apple I computer to Hewlett Packard, but they "turned him down 5 times."
According to a 2008 interview with The Telegraph, Wozniak originally thought he owed it to HP to stay, until Jobs persuaded Wozniak's family to convince him to do it.
Regarding the missed opportunity, HP co-founder Bill Hewlett reportedly said, "You win some, you lose some."
Wozniak was invited last week by the soon-to-reopen Computer History Museum to give a guided tour to the press. During the tour, Wozniak waxed nostalgic on several early devices, including his own Apple I and Apple II designs, that were influential to the development of the personal computer and other modern devices, MarketWatch reports.
Reiterating comments he made in London at a recent auction of a rare Apple I computer in excellent condition, which sold for $174,000, Wozniak told reporters that he hadn't designed the original Apple I computer to "make a lot of money." "I gave away my designs for free," he said.
The Woz, as he has come to be known, sees the iPhone as the current culmination of computing progress. "As expensive as it looks," he said of an early adding machine, "we wouldn't have our iPhones today if we hadn't started with devices like this." "In our past, there were applications for computers that made an iPhone worth a trillion dollars, and those applications caused these machines to be built, which took us on the path that led to today's iPhone," Wozniak continued.
When asked what new device he expected to see in the Computer History Museum, Wozniak told All Things Digital, "We've got to approach the iPhone someday. That was really the start of smartphones done the right way."
During the tour, Wozniak related the story of one of his first collaborative projects with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. After Wozniak built his own version of Pong, one of the earliest video games, Jobs then took the game to Atari and got a job. "They had Steve working at night so he wouldn't be around other people," joked Wozniak.
"Then he got us a job," Wozniak continued, "I designed the first Breakout game for Atari. So I didn't really work there. They tried to hire me, but I said 'Never leave Hewlett Packard, I love my company, I'm loyal.'" Wozniak added that it took them 4 straight days and nights to design the game. "We both got the sleeping sickness, mononucleosis," said Wozniak.
His loyalty to Hewlett Packard made him reluctant to leave the company to start Apple with Jobs. Wozniak reminded reporters last week at the Computer History Museum that he had proposed his idea for the Apple I computer to Hewlett Packard, but they "turned him down 5 times."
According to a 2008 interview with The Telegraph, Wozniak originally thought he owed it to HP to stay, until Jobs persuaded Wozniak's family to convince him to do it.
Regarding the missed opportunity, HP co-founder Bill Hewlett reportedly said, "You win some, you lose some."
Comments
Regarding the missed opportunity, HP co-founder Bill Hewlett reportedly said, "You win some, you lose some.
But the "somes" are rarely equal.
Steve Wozniak = failure.
But if you confuse the two long enough, and mix in a little news media, Steve Wozniak can ride the coat tails of Apple for the rest of his life...
Regarding the missed opportunity, HP co-founder Bill Hewlett reportedly said, "You win some, you lose some."
It happens. Harvard Business School rejected Warren Buffett.
If things had gone differently, imagine the alternate world that might have happened: there could even have been HP iPods!
Nah, Carly and her predecessors would have buried it long ago, somewhere lost on her quest for Compaq. Give me one original consumer product produced during this time period from HP --- tick, tick, tick - buzz - time's up.
What's even funnier in this "alternate universe" is the HPiPhone (known widely as the PiP) that uses tiny HP Ink cartridges to print out your screen images, and HP makes a mint selling the stuff, while virtually giving away the phones.
(Hey - it ain't just razors and razor blades that apply here!)
If things had gone differently, imagine the alternate world that might have happened: there could even have been HP iPods!
But there was an HP iPod, designed and built by Apple.
If things had gone differently, imagine the alternate world that might have happened: there could even have been HP iPods!
You could probably even buy them on Amazon?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/r...7?a=B0002OG6CA
Apple = success.
Steve Wozniak = failure.
But if you confuse the two long enough, and mix in a little news media, Steve Wozniak can ride the coat tails of Apple for the rest of his life...
Wow. Just wow.
People measure success in vastly different ways. Woz is a big teddy bear and is still kind of a kid, so he does things that are fun for him and (he hopes) for others. Who else gets to walk around the stage in the early street scene of The Nutcracker selling roasted chestnuts in front of an audience of kids? That's the kind of thing that Woz enjoys, and he never calls into question whether it represents a success or failure.
I'll take Woz' success any day over Bill Gates'. At least i'd be able to sleep well every night.
Wow. Just wow.
People measure success in vastly different ways. Woz is a big teddy bear and is still kind of a kid, so he does things that are fun for him and (he hopes) for others. Who else gets to walk around the stage in the early street scene of The Nutcracker selling roasted chestnuts in front of an audience of kids? That's the kind of thing that Woz enjoys, and he never calls into question whether it represents a success or failure.
I'll take Woz' success any day over Bill Gates'. At least i'd be able to sleep well every night.
I sooooo agree with what you said!
Wow. Just wow.
I'll take Woz' success any day over Bill Gates'. At least i'd be able to sleep well every night.
Bill Gates doesn't sleep at night, too busy saving millions of lives around the world and re-inventing US education system. Woz obviously content to play Segway Polo, while Jobs makes gadgets that will be electronic trash in 3 years.
There was never a missed opportunity because the opportunity wouldn't have been the same.
Apple = success.
Steve Wozniak = failure.
But if you confuse the two long enough, and mix in a little news media, Steve Wozniak can ride the coat tails of Apple for the rest of his life...
Nice to know that you only care about money. I'll have to remember to ignore everything you say from now on.
Bill Gates doesn't sleep at night, too busy saving millions of lives around the world and re-inventing US education system. Woz obviously content to play Segway Polo, while Jobs makes gadgets that will be electronic trash in 3 years.
That's good stuff; you should start a satirical blog or something.
Bill Gates doesn't sleep at night, too busy saving millions of lives around the world and re-inventing US education system. Woz obviously content to play Segway Polo, while Jobs makes gadgets that will be electronic trash in 3 years.
You forgot you "/sarcasm"
Bill Gates can't buy his way into heaven.
Apple = success.
Steve Wozniak = failure.
But if you confuse the two long enough, and mix in a little news media, Steve Wozniak can ride the coat tails of Apple for the rest of his life...
that has to be the dumbest post ever.
there would be no Apple if not for wozniak you moron.
there would be no Apple if not for wozniak you moron.
There seem to be a lot of people who think that products are designed and developed by the abstract entity known as "a company". What's scarier though is when those people are actually running companies (into the ground).
HP = Hopelessly Prehistoric
Had Potential