Steve Wozniak

Stephen Wozniak (born August 11 1950) (Polish: Woźniak) is a computer engineer turned philanthropist. His machines are credited with contributing greatly to the entry of computers into private homes and businesses. Wozniak created the Apple II, the last personal computer to be designed entirely by a single person.

Early life and inspiration

Wozniak's early inspirations came from his father Jerry who was a Lockheed engineer, and from a fictional wonder-boy: Tom Swift. His father infected him with fascination for electronics and would often check over young Woz's creations. Tom Swift, on the other hand, was for Woz an epitome of creative freedom, scientific knowledge, and the ability to find solutions to problems. Tom Swift would also attractively illustrate the big awards that await the inventor. To this day, Wozniak returns to Tom Swift books and reads them to his own kids as a form of inspiration.

Related Topics:
Lockheed - Tom Swift

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Woz's values were shaped and strengthened over years by his family and individual thinking, and moral philosophy, radio amateur ethics (helping people in emergency), books (Swift's utilitarian and humanitarian attitude) and others.

Related Topics:
Individual - Thinking - Moral - Philosophy - Radio amateur - Humanitarian

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As a lasting Swift legacy, throughout his life, Wozniak loved all projects that required heavy thinking, even if they were void of any practicality or marketability. He learned the basics of mathematics and electronics from his father. When Woz was 11, he built his own amateur radio station, and got a ham-radio license. At age 13, he was elected president of his high school electronics club, and won first prize at a science fair for a transistor-based calculator. Also at 13, Woz began designing his first computers (including one that could play tic-tac-toe), which laid the engineering foundation of his later success.

Related Topics:
Mathematics - Electronics - Amateur radio - Transistor - Calculator - Tic-tac-toe

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John Draper explained to Wozniak the Blue Box, a device with which one could (mis)use the telephone system by emulating pulses (i.e. phone phreaking). Although Draper instructed Woz not to produce and especially not sell the gadgets on account of the possibility of being discovered, Wozniak built and sold Blue Boxes for $150 a piece. Wozniak met Steve Jobs while working a summer job at HP, and they began selling blue boxes together. Many of the purchasers of their blue boxes were in fact discovered and sure enough John Draper was linked to their use.

Related Topics:
John Draper - Blue Box - Phreaking - Steve Jobs - HP

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