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.

The Success of the Apple II

For years the Apple II was the main source of profit at Apple, and it assured the company's survival when its management undertook much less profitable ventures like the ill-fated Apple III and the short lived Lisa. It was because of the reliable profits from the Apple II that Apple was able to develop the Macintosh, market it, and gradually make it evolve into a machine which is now at the center of all Apple products. In a sense then, Wozniak can be considered as the financial godfather of the Mac.

Related Topics:
Apple III - Lisa - Macintosh

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In February 1981, Steve Wozniak crashed his private plane. As a result, he had temporary short-term memory loss. He had no recollection of the accident and, for a while, did not even know he had been involved in a crash. He began to piece together clues from things people had said to him. He asked his girlfriend, Candy Clark (an early Apple employee who worked in the accounting department), if he had been involved in an accident of some kind. When she told him of the event, his short-term memory was restored. Wozniak also credits computer games for aiding him in restoring those "lost" memories.

Related Topics:
1981 - Computer game

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Woz did not return to Apple after recovering from the plane crash. Instead, he got married and returned to the University of California, Berkeley under the name "Rocky (Raccoon) Clark", finally earning his undergraduate degree in 1983. In 1983 he decided to return to Apple product development, but he wanted to be no more than just an engineer and a motivational factor for the Apple workforce.

Related Topics:
University of California, Berkeley - 1983

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In 1982 and 1983, Wozniak also sponsored the two editions of the US Festival, which were a celebration of evolving technologies and a marriage of music, computers, television and people.

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