Woz Interview

There is an interesting Q&A posted on the Seattle Times web site with Apple co-founder, and personal idol of mine, Steve Wozniak.  If you want to learn more about Woz, and gain some insight into the beginnings of Apple Computer and his relationship with the other Steve, take some time and check this out.

"Q. You were working at Hewlett-Packard while you and Steve Jobs were creating Apple Computer. Did HP know about your Apple work?

A. Yes. As soon as Steve Jobs suggested, "Why don't we sell a PC board of this computer," I said, "I think I signed something, an employment contract, that said what I designed belongs to Hewlett-Packard." And I loved that company. That was my company for life. So I approached Hewlett-Packard first. Boy, did I make a pitch. I wanted them to do it. I had the Apple I, and I had a description of what the Apple II could do. I spoke of color. I described an $800 machine that ran BASIC (an early computer language), came out of the box fully built and talked to your home TV. And Hewlett-Packard found some reasons it couldn't be a Hewlett-Packard product."

I happen to still own a functional pair of Apple IIGS computers -- one is a "standard" version and the other is a limited "Woz" signature edition.