In the early 1970s Wozniak initially worked for a few small electronics companies before he landed a job with Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1975. He was designing calculators, which were created in a similar way to computers, and they were an exciting new gadget for consumers.
Wozniak designed the bulk of the components for the Apple I in his cubicle at HP. The company would let engineers develop their own projects at the time; however, they turned down his personal computer designs.
Soon after, in 1976, his friend, Steve Jobs, made Wozniak a proposition to start building their own computer. Wozniak quit his job at HP and together they started the personal computer revolution out of the back of a family garage.
Wozniak, was the technical genius behind Apple, he invented the Apple II, which went to market in 1977. The Apple II was one of the first microcomputers to be mass produced; it was an instant hit with consumers.
Wozniak left Apple in 1985. Shortly after, he and Jobs were awarded a National Medal of Technology by U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan.
The years that followed Apple, Wozniak funded various business ventures and continued to work on technology inventions, including the first programmable remote control, and he became chief scientist at a mass storage device company. He was also on the board of directors and helped fund a non-profit, Electronic Frontier Foundation, which provides legal aid to hackers that face prosecution.
He later founded the Silicon Valley Comic Con (2016), which is an annual electronics and popular culture convention. Wozniak presents the event, which attracts an impressive line-up of speakers.
Wozniak has always had a passion for teaching, and in 2017 he started an online educational technology service, Woz U, which gives students and businesses access to the best technology training and tools to close the technology skills gap.
Wozniak has pushed the boundaries of technology, and continues to spread the word on what the future of technology may hold in store.
- Do not miss out on your chance to learn from Steve Wozniak in person on September 23-24, 2020 at Oslo Business Forum: Rethinking Business. Click here to see the full speaker lineup!
Text by Rosanna Bueler Mount