Apple II Bits

Steve Wozniak may be a rambling storyteller, but he still has stories to tell. All he needs is structure and editing — which social news site reddit recently provided when Woz participated in their original video series:

FORMATIVE aims to explore one defining moment in a person’s life. We’ll sit down with eight creators utilizing technology: travel back in time to when that moment occurred, hear about the circumstances surrounding it in their own words, then return to present day and see how it has influenced their lives.

As part of a series of origin stories, Formative focuses on Woz’s early partnership with Steve Jobs, debunking the myth that Apple was founded in a garage but also relating the passion and enthusiasm he had for digital computing. I never knew that Woz didn’t see his future in this field — not due to lack of interest or confidence, but because the field was so new, he didn’t know it could be anything more than a hobby. It was inspiring to know that one of our heroes found his passion before it became his career.

Complementing the release of the video, Woz hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA), which uses the reddit message board as a live chat wherein anyone can submit questions for the host. Over the course of a few hours, Woz answered nearly two dozen questions, ranging from the FBI-Apple encryption dispute to “Outback vs In-n-out?” Two of my favorites:

Q: Even though you left in 1985, what was your relationship with the company like after, and how has that changed compared to now? Are you, for example, allowed to go and visit any colleagues that still work there or are you simply another outsider?

A: … I always was on good terms with Apple and they always liked me, I’m always welcome. I could come by, Steve Jobs would always make sure I had a badge that could get me into any building. I didn’t use it much, but I can go there. The only trouble is I’ll get mobbed.

Q: Who was the first person to call you ‘Woz’?

A: … I found out later in life that almost every Wozniak gets the nickname Woz over time. Their friends just start calling them that. My uncle is Uncle Woz. My son, his friends call him Woz, and I turn to my kid and I realize they’re talking to Gary instead. So it goes back. It’s just nice.

Among the more fun answers were also some meatier ones open to analysis. Minda Zetlin of Inc. interpreted one of Woz’s responses as him being out of touch with what makes modern-day Apple. Inc so great: "Woz is an uber-geek, and there’s a common mistake most geeks make: They think technological capability is all that matters. They don’t care about design, usability, or marketing — three areas where Steve Jobs’s genius really shone through."

No wonder Woz is a hero to the Apple II community: design is important, but we’re more hackers than consumers, interested on what’s inside than in how it looks.

Between the video and the AMA, there’s a lot of insightful, focused, original commentary from Apple’s legendary co-founder. As much as we think we know everything about Woz, he always has something new to share.