The latest article comes from the U.K. An interview was done with Steve Wozniak. They asked him his opinions on Apple, the Iphone, the Ipod and so much more. It also did a wonderful job of giving you a sense of who Steve is. A bit of his history. I enjoyed and and would like to share it with you....
Steve Wozniak interview: iconic co-founder on the iPod, iPhone, and future for Apple
In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
wonders how long the iPod can stay on top spot, laments the limitations of
the iPhone 3G, agrees with the downgrade on Apple shares and believes that
Web 2.0 revolution has been over-financed and could lead to mini-crash in
technology stocks.
By Rupert Neate
Steve Wozniak was such a chronically shy teenager he could barely summon the
courage to speak to other kids, instead he would spend his evenings
tinkering with calculators and dreaming of super computers.
He's a different man today. Mr Wozniak, or Woz to use one of his many
nicknames, has just had a roomful of high-powered businessmen in stitches as
he recounted the rocky beginnings of one of the world's most loved
companies.
Mr Wozniak is the electronic engineering genius who co-founded Apple with
marketing ace and teenage friend Steve Jobs.
His first love was an Iraqi super computer, a poster of which he had pinned to
his bedroom wall. "I told my dad I wanted to buy one, he said it would
cost as much as our house. I replied: 'That's OK I'll live in an apartment'".
During his years studying, but not completing until decades later, electrical
engineering and computer sciences at the University of California (Berkeley)
he started down the road to professional technology development by taking on
freelance commissions to design software for established companies.
When he was given his first commission to design a computer game for Atari he
could barely contain his excitement. "I thought 'Oh my god, It would be
the highlight of my life to design a game that kids would actually use.
Steve and I didn't sleep for two days to get it done on time." His
enthusiasm and creativity is clearly undiminished to this day: he still lies
in bed at night imagining the next world changing "killer app".
The two Steve's were polar opposites but their differences made the company
they founded, which now has market capitalisation of $92bn, work. "Steve
was into everything hippy, he ran around shouting 'free love man' and eating
seeds" as he embraced the flower power set. While "the second Steve",
as Mr Wozniak became known, was still unable to overcome his nerves.
Even when he landed his dream job at Hewlett Packard developing calculators he
was "still the sort of person who would never have a wife or a family"
so he would go home watch a little Star Trek and then work on projects all
night.
Indeed Apple may never have seen the light of day if Hewlett Packard (HP) had
recognised the 58-year-old Californian's flair and creativity. His idea for
the Apple I computer, which would transform the future of personal
computing, was turned down by his employer no less than five times. "Oh
my god, I wanted it so badly," he recalls.
Bill Hewlett, co-founder of HP with Dave Packard, later simply said "you
win some, you lose some".
Despite the constant knock backs, Mr Wozniak was "almost too ethical"
to leave HP when "the angel" Mike Markkula offered 'the Steves'
$250,000 to set-up their own company. "I thought I owed it to HP to
stay. But Steve [Jobs] got at all my family and they convinced me I had to
do it".
Although he has been "basically retired" from Apple since 1987, it
is clear his love for the company will never be diminished. He was never in
it for the money, as his surprisingly frank and honest comments on the
future of the company and the technology industry testify.
Last week Apple's shares tumbled nearly 20pc after two analysts downgraded the
stock on fears that the consumer spending slowdown could seriously hit
future profits.
While many company founders would steer well clear of commenting on
valuations, Mr Wozniak says the downgrade was "correct": an
admission which could wipe further millions of the shares which have fallen
by from a high of $179 in August to just over $100 on the close last week.
In fact he believes: "It is time for the whole computer industry to maybe
have a bit of a slowdown. For twenty years we have been in this replacement
and upgrade market," he says. "It is very easy to postpone that
when there are financial irregularities."
He says investment houses' over-valuation of web 2.0 and social networking
websites could even lead to a minor version of the dotcom crash which saw $5
trillion wiped of the market values of technology companies between March
2000 and October 2002.
I begin to wonder whether he was even briefed by the Apple press office when
he predicts the imminent death of the company's most popular product, the
iPod.
"The iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one," he says. "Things
like, that if you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of
die out after a while.
"It's kind of like everyone has got one or two or three. You get to a
point when they are on display everywhere, they get real cheap and they are
not selling as much."
Mr Wozniak even speaks out against the iPhone 3G, Apple's latest cult product
which caused pandemonium in the West End when it was launched in Apple's
Regent Street store this summer.
To read more about what steve had to say.......
Steve Wozniak interview: iconic co-founder on the iPod, iPhone, and future for AppleI enjoyed learning more about Steve. I found his comments on the IPOD, dead on. I love my IPOD, I use it every day. But I do agree its just a matter of time before its displaced. His comments on the IPHONE, for those who clicked on the entire article. I am sure apple was not too happy about.
Posted by Michael Corey
www.ntirety.com