Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary Wozniak (/ˈwɒzniæk/; born August 11, 1950), also known by his nickname "Woz", is an American electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, and inventor. In 1976, he co-founded Apple Computer with his early business partner Steve Jobs. Through his work at Apple in the 1970s and 1980s, he is widely recognized as one of the most prominent pioneers of the personal computer revolution.[4]
For other uses, see WOZ (disambiguation).
Steve Wozniak
United States
Serbia
University of Colorado Boulder (expelled)
De Anza College (attended)
University of California, Berkeley (BSE)[3]
- Electrical engineer
- programmer
- inventor
- philanthropist
- investor
1971–present
- Pioneer of the personal computer revolution with Steve Jobs
- Co-founder of Apple Inc.
- Apple I creator
- Apple II co-creator and lead developer
- Macintosh co-creator and co-developer
3
ex-WA6BND (ex-WV6VLY)
In 1975, Wozniak started developing the Apple I[5]: 150 into the computer that launched Apple when he and Jobs first began marketing it the following year. He primarily designed the Apple II, introduced in 1977, known as one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputers,[6] while Jobs oversaw the development of its foam-molded plastic case and early Apple employee Rod Holt developed its switching power supply.[7] With human–computer interface expert Jef Raskin, Wozniak had a major influence over the initial development of the original Apple Macintosh concepts from 1979 to 1981, when Jobs took over the project following Wozniak's brief departure from the company due to a traumatic airplane accident.[8][3] After permanently leaving Apple in 1985, Wozniak founded CL 9 and created the first programmable universal remote, released in 1987. He then pursued several other businesses and philanthropic ventures throughout his career, focusing largely on technology in K–12 schools.[3]
As of February 2020, Wozniak has remained an employee of Apple in a ceremonial capacity since stepping down in 1985.[9][10] In recent years, he has helped fund multiple entrepreneurial efforts dealing in areas such as GPS and telecommunications, flash memory, technology and pop culture conventions, technical education, ecology, satellites and more.
Wozniak is listed as the sole inventor on the following Apple patents:
Philanthropy[edit]
In 1990, Wozniak helped found the Electronic Frontier Foundation, providing some of the organization's initial funding[80][81][82] and serving on its founding Board of Directors.[80] He is the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.[3] Also since leaving Apple, Wozniak has provided all the money, and much onsite technical support, for the technology program in his local school district in Los Gatos.[5] Un.U.Son. (Unite Us In Song), an organization Wozniak formed to organize the two US festivals, is now primarily tasked with supporting his educational and philanthropic projects.[5][56] In 1986, Wozniak lent his name to the Stephen G. Wozniak Achievement Awards (popularly known as "Wozzie Awards"), which he presented to six Bay Area high school and college students for their innovative use of computers in the fields of business, art, and music.[83] Wozniak is the subject of a student-made film production of his friend's (Joe Patane) nonprofit Dream Camp Foundation for high-level-need youth entitled Camp Woz: The Admirable Lunacy of Philanthropy.[84]
