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83 Comments
- TheCheeta, on 10/12/2007, -9/+32Knock Knock... smokester... Apple played a MASSIVE part in the fact that you are sitting in front of a personal computer right now. We aren't talking iPods here... we are talking about the technological revolution known as the PC.
- ksgant, on 10/12/2007, -8/+30Yeah, really. What the hell are you talking about. I'm not a huge fan of Apple, but I do recognize the fact that they DID start the personal computer revolution. Doesn't matter that IBM came out a few years afterwards and stole some of the thunder away...and then Microsoft stole that thunder away from IBM.
And Woz was a hell of an engineer. - Dinosaurus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Smart geeks keep their politics private :) I like how Leo reigns in his guests when they start to go into politcal tirades.
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20I'm finding it tough to accept that some of the younger generation (holy crap, did I just say that? I'm in my twenties) don't remember a time when the Apple ][ ruled the home computer market (along with it's clones/super-similar competitors like the Atari's and C64 and Tandy CoCo's).. Actually, most people I knew *wished* they could afford the super sleek Apple.
Even scarier are some of the people here on digg don't remember a personal computer without a GUI.
I'd love to take them and give them a few weeks experience of jumpering IRQs to get cards to work.. Herculese Graphics Adapters.. Reel to reel storage (or tape recorders, for that matter) or even setting up a fairly old version of Slackware or Debian and trying to get X to work with your hardware.. then, from that same time period (say, 1986 to 1990), perhaps, you take one Mac Plus or Performa, and plug it in. Same thing accomplished. That's why some of us remember the old Macs so fondly.. regardless of where the company is now, they were revolutionary at the time, simply because they actually got things to the market. You can argue that Xerox PARC invented the mouse or GUI, yada yada, but Apple got those products to the market and into peoples hands. And as far as the Apple ][, you probably wouldn't have a computer in your home if they hadn't come out with it, and even more so you most likely would not have computers in elementary schools.
If you'll excuse me, I have to go write some very important accounting software in LOGO :) "Fwd 10.." - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -15/+29Not going to get into a debate about this, but please, remember perspective
I'm prepared to bet a hell of alot more civilians will die due to the war on terror than died on 9/11 - CypherXero, on 10/12/2007, -8/+20What are you talking about? He did change the world!
- LubbertDas, on 10/12/2007, -13/+25I am, or perhaps was, a huge Woz fan... until his appearance on TWiT a few weeks ago where he displayed an advanced case of west coast moral equivalence by making a statement that the war against terrorism is the same as the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
I was hilarious though to hear Leo try to quickly steer the conversation in another direction.. - bluehouse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Segways with frickin green laser beams
- redman5419, on 10/12/2007, -5/+16"The day you can say you've contributed to the world what this man has is the day you're allowed to criticize him."
As if everyone who contributes to the world, even if it positive, is to be put on a pedestal? I agree, Woz is a legend in his own time and I don't belittle his contributions. But that doesn't mean that every time the guy takes a crap I should bow down to him. I agree with Chewie...why should I care? Revel in the guy's glory all you want, but you have no good reason to expect me to do the same. - Godric, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17You can get a good sense of this guy's character and sheer enthusiasm for technology in this 1hr 30min lecture he gave.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1406180788960771638 - DaffyDuck, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12"I don't think you all are fully aware how Woz put us all here on our computers...If it weren't for him, computers would be waayyyy behind."
Maybe but look how far computers have come and without help from him. I am not sure that he still deserves to be in the limelight. Steve, on the other hand, is a visionary that actually makes his visions come true and he's in it for the long haul. At risk of sounding like a fanatic I just think it's amazing what Jobs has done.
Jobs cares about the user experience, Gates cares about market share. - tharealmegaman, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12If there was a "this is what Woz and Jobs had for breakfast this morning" article posted on digg, it would still get 937478 diggs.
- ProAm500, on 10/12/2007, -13/+21no your not the only one, i agree he can be tough to take sometimes...
- compu73rg33k, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13I don't think you all are fully aware how Woz put us all here on our computers...If it weren't for him, computers would be waayyyy behind.
- nebari, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I agree with the general dilution of digg content over the past few months. However, with Apple's 30th being a current topic and the role Woz played in Apple's (and the personal computer's in general) history, this story is relevant and important.
There is a history here that is easily lost because, as was mentioned above, Apple's inception is three decades back. But there are important lessons to this history, insightful allegories and hallelujah moments. The role that Woz played in bringing computers out of the white room should be recognized and celebrated. - pilotmike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7There's something about geniuses who made their big, sometimes earth shattering contribution before their 30Th birthday, who then spend the rest of their lives in the wake of that contribution that DID Change the World.
They tend to never recover from it or duplicate it .. or change. They become pretty set in their ways.
See Albert Einstein, John Nash, Linus...
I know one personally who is now almost lost to history, Ward Christensen, who invented what became what this is, the electronic bulletin board. - ralphmalph, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Woz's politics have zero to do with his accomplishments putting Apple and PCs for the masses on the map. Blast him on the poly-science Digg counterpart if you can find one .... or in the countless political blogs, many of which surely have discussed that particular comment. just not here please.
- twylight, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Those of us who actually had an Apple ][ think you young people are nubs and need to stfu...there was no such thing as computers for private citizens before Woz. Except a few hand built kits. Really. And my 300 baud modem was $850 bucks...ok back to Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion.
- liveinabin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5He's not a god. Goodness, no. He's a really nice, talented guy who knew the right people at the right time.
I love reading interviews with him, it's rare to see someone so kind and selfless in this kind of field. - Amackera, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11If you think The Woz didn't change the world then I'd have to disagree with you. He didn't have a formal education, he made Apple computers in his spare time! It doesn't matter what Apple has done since he left, all that matters is that his first projects were not only revolutionary, but they litterally determined what computers would look like, and fuction as, for decades to come.
And smokester, I'm pretty sure that Woz had nothing to do with the actuall development of the iPod. The Woz is awesome because he made some really amazing pieces of computing technology, not because of Apple's success after he left. - cyclotron, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6And thats why he's the poorer of the two...
- bluehouse, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Isn't it obvious that this whole site is Mac biased? Strange there are no Microsoft or Windows categories but there is one for Apple
- ThinkFr33ly, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6I think we need to step back and give a little more credit to the people who actually invented computing as it exists today. It basically comes down to:
1.) John von Neumann
2.) Xerox PARC
Between those two there is basically nothing that has been created with regards to computing in the past 50 years that is really innovative or new. (With perhaps the exception of some quantum computing stuff, although Von Neumann anticipated it to some extent.)
Woz is certainly a geek god... and he contributed to the evolution of personal computing in a way far greater than most, but he is not the one most responsible for the way we use computers today. - compu73rg33k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6"Maybe but look how far computers have come and without help from him. I am not sure that he still deserves to be in the limelight. Steve, on the other hand, is a visionary that actually makes his visions come true and he's in it for the long haul. At risk of sounding like a fanatic I just think it's amazing what Jobs has done."
Yeah Jobs is an amazing visionary but he usually wasn't able to accomplish what was in his vision. He had to push people to accomplish it. I know it always got done, that's what's so great about Steve Jobs, but he couldn't actually do the work. Woz was usually the person that did what Jobs had invisioned. Without either of them the other woudln't've been able to do half of what they accomplished together. - twylight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Think guy,
You are correct about Xerox and PARC and whatnot - but having the idea and getting into the average Joe's hands are wildly different ideas - Hell Xerox damn near invented everything we use today...but couldnt market and sell for poo - it took another company to take the idea and go with it...fax machines, copiers, computers...have you seen their original copiers and fax machines? zomg...bow down before the craniums from PARC. Too bad they didnt have people with marketing and manufacturing brains.
Oh and all you MS bashers - MS stole from apple who stole from Xerox...mac stole EVERYTHING from Xerox...except xerox's monitor was 8.5x11 like a piece of paper...and the mouse was more squared off... - ralphmalph, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5this reply goes out to all that would feel a need to respond to this fool. it's a troll people. it feeds off your indiggnation. don't waste your energy with this one.
- Jomwilli, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Wow, you can't be Anti-Mac around here without getting slammed by the negative diggers.
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Holy crap, you could afford one? I just had a Sinclair and a CoCo-2.. Only got to use a real Apple at school, and even then they would make me do the same old crap with it every class. LOGO LOGO LOGO. I used to poke the display memory addresses and get everything flashing and f-ed up just to annoy my teacher, who had no idea what I'd done.. and then he'd set about the four disk swap-dance of getting Appleworks loaded.
- ralphmalph, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9what do you expect? this (Digg) is an interesting if not predictable experiment. you open control to the masses and mediocrity will eventually float to the surface. /. may not have the best content up on its front page as fast as Digg, but you don't get mediocre content and drivel making headlines either. it all comes down to what motivates people to submit in the first place. is it to share the most relevant original information? in my opinion the answer to that is no. motivation is driven largely to achieve recognition by making it to the front page. easiest way to do that? appeal to the fan boys. thus the constant barrage of apple and google stories repeating the same old s**t over and over and over and over and over.....
- CosmicJustice, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6You're not the only one. Woz didn't build a company, Steve Jobs did. Without SJ, Woz would never have been heard of. He would still be hacking around in a garage somewhere. He is brilliant but not in a world changing way.
- bluehouse, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Someone else would have come up with it if he didn't. He's good but he was just in the right place at the right time and that's why he's famous. He just got lucky
- ksgant, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I guess going to Berkeley doesn't qualify for a "formal education" anymore? Yeah, he dropped out but he DID later go back and get his BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.
- phaertes, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I'm anti-Mac and iPod in principle -- so much so that I will buy competitors' products just to avoid the Apple label. But I'm also not a fool: Woz (and Jobs) DID (and continue to) change the world with their vision and creativity and deserve the major kudos they are receiving for Apple's 30th. Great article.
- dmoffitt, on 10/12/2007, -15/+17great story about a great guy
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -19/+21kazymonds... smokester.. ungrateful, ignorant children.
- ToeCheese, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5If you were to buy a PC back then you better be ready to solder ***** together and then punch cards and flips switches just to get a response out of you computer.
Woz hacked his TV and figured out how to send it the computer's output. He had numerous hacks which were amazing. Sure most of this can now be performed by your watch but he was the one to start it. Get a few Popular Electronics (or was it Radio Electronics) for the era and you will see ads for computer parts.
- Jobs had the vision to sell assembled computers.
- Gates had the vision to sell software "that was freely available at computer labs"
- RMS has the vision to push the free software
- Linus had the vision to provide an alternative "free" operating system
- Balmer had the vision of Monkey Stomping on stage "He will never live this down!" - DaffyDuck, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3When you are the head of the company there are many times you will be a jerk to your direct reports. That's just the way you have to be to get your message across sometimes. I'm not one of these people but I have insight in that area and I can tell you that Jobs is not alone. This is just how it is in the corporate world. If you think Gates has his happy face on at work all day you I've got news for you.
- cyclotron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And its not just about the first model of Mac, but the Apple I, which was their own. Additionally, all the design and features, but most importantly, and this is where Jobs comes in, the business decissions and marketing.
Ford didnt invent the car, he made it accessible. Edison didnt invent the light bulb, he made it better. - stuartm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Woz is a genuinely nice guy who loves technology. Yes, the founding of Apple was 30 years ago but you can not take his obvious place in history away from him.
- ralphmalph, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Actually I should say that my reply (above this one) is not relevant to this particular post. I have to agree with nebari that this post absolutely deserves front page status. It's a current story, it's interesting and Woz deserves every word of attention that he's getting at this time. digg for this story ... but I do agree also that a whole lot of BS filters up to the front page for nothing more than fan boy words in the title.
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3It would help if you gave some reference to what you were talking about.
- pooper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why can't everyone be like Woz...
- kjd88, on 10/12/2007, -13/+14iPods sure have.
And this goal of Woz was made apparent in "Pirates of Silicon Valley." It was clear that everything that Steve did was a religious experience intended to change the world. Woz just loved making the things. - framitz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I watched the Pirates of Silicon Valley again last evening. The Woz is about the only decent person in the whole movie. I will digg just about anything that he is involved in!
- anagami, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1lol, good luck with Sony's atrack-plus DRM cd players. Seriously, your post is inconsistent.
- RobGamble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Oh, no. You get them all the time on Slashdot.
- molecool, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is one true computer geek at heart - I really admire the guy :-)
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Goddamn, can I block Apple links from being shown to me when I come to Digg? All this apple-fellating fanboi ***** is pretty tiring...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That is why I would never call myself a geek.
- mayerno12, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Woz is great and all, but jesus guys, this is the same story re-hashed over and over..
Woz is great, Apple is a good company, this is not ground breaking stuff we all know this... -
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