Stephen Gary Wozniak (later known by his nickname, “Woz”) was born on August 11, 1950, in San Jose, California. From an early age, he demonstrated an interest in electronics, and during his teenage years, became involved in designing and building his own computers. In 1968, Woz graduated from high school and enrolled in engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, but was expelled before the end of his freshman year for hacking into the university’s computer system..
He re-enrolled at De Anza College in Cupertino and in 1971 transferred to the University of California, Berkeley. During that year, Woz and his friend Bill Fernandez, to satisfy course requirements for an engineering project, designed and built a computer using the modicum of computer parts that they were able to scrounge. However, Steve eventually ran out of money for tuition and self-support and was forced to drop out of Berkeley before completing his degree. He then took a job at Hewlett-Packard, working on a mainframe computer.
While working at Hewlett-Packard, Woz was introduced to Steve Jobs by their mutual friend, Bill Fernandez. Their shared passion for electronics and technology led to a close friendship that evolved into a partnership. Their first money-making enterprise was selling to fellow students the “Blue Box” device that Woz had designed for hacking into the telephone network and avoiding tolls for long-distance calls. (See: https://www.intelligence-and-iq.com/steve-jobs/)
By 1976, Wozniak and Jobs, working out of the Jobs’ garage in Silicon Valley were well on their way to developing what would become the Apple I computer, using parts that they obtained from Hewlett-Packard. They co-founded Apple Computer (now known as Apple Inc.) and the rest, as they say, is history. The success of the Apple I computer led to Wozniak’s creation of the Apple II that included color graphics, a built-in keyboard, and what was called a “floppy disk” for data entry and storage. The Apple II, play a strong role in launching the era of the personal computer that blossomed in the late 1970’s and through the 1980’s. By 1980, Apple Inc. went public and its market value exceeded $1 billion, transforming Woz and Jobs into instant millionaires.
The following year, Steve Wozniak crashed his small airplane, resulting in his inability to store long-term memories–a tragic irony for the creator of the disk drive. Woz decided to take a sabbatical from Apple and return to the study of computer science and electrical engineering at Berkeley. Although he once again dropped out of Berkeley without obtaining a degree, the university gave him credits for his work at Apple and awarded him a B.Sc. in electrical engineering in 1987.
In 1982, Woz returned to Apple, but refused to take a managerial position, preferring to work on computer development. However, by 1985, he officially retired from Apple. His outstanding achievements in advancing the technology of personal computers was acknowledged in that year by U.S. President Ronald Regan who awarded Woz and Jobs the National Medal of Technology.
Woz, known to be extremely approachable and friendly, continues his involvement in various philanthropic activities and has supported educational initiatives related to technology. He is celebrated as a computer engineer, inventor and technology entrepreneur.
