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Part of me wonders if we'd have so many people gushing over the Apple II and Woz if Apple didn't turn the corner back in the 90s. The idea of cashing in on an A

by quitit 4y ago

Part of me wonders if we'd have so many people gushing over the Apple II and Woz if Apple didn't turn the corner back in the 90s. The idea of cashing in on an Apple's story story seems to have a revisionist affect on history. Particularly by minimising the influence of other innovations. Per your comment I feel a great number of machines and individuals were equally and perhaps more instrumental in driving computers into homes. This also includes many of which that came far later - I think inexpensive yet capable machines that were internet ready (such as the gumdrop iMac) played a larger role in solidifying computing for the masses, something that was honed further with affordable laptops, and finally with highly capable smartphones. Without the later I think computers would still very much be like the 90s where a family owned a computer, rather than the universal device that everyone relies on today. I say all this because Woz is often trotted out to give his opinion on subjects that he clearly has little idea about, seemingly just there as nerd-furniture and Woz appreciating the fame. When I hear him speak, it so often feels like this is the tail wagging the dog. He's not an oracle and crucially he so frequently "bets on the wrong horse" when it comes to what he thinks will make an impact.

IMSAI8080 4y ago
I think you're right, there is a danger of a revisionist aspect due to the fact that so many people have iPhones in their pockets. We might end up with "Steve Jobs invented the personal computer" as the layman's opinion of computer history. There were dozens of other machines that could have easily been the Apple II and Apple had a great amount of luck. One anecdote I remember reading is the guys that wrote VisiCalc (which was a strong reason Apple became successful) were originally intending to write it for the Commodore PET. When they went to start coding for the first time all the PETs were in use but an Apple II was available. A butterfly flaps it's wings and all that.
bookofjoe 4y ago
See, for example, his appearance on "Squawk Box" two months ago: https://youtu.be/LqwmkIE66iY https://youtu.be/LqwmkIE66iY
JKCalhoun 4y ago
I have wrestled with this as well — the revisionism as you call it. But I've come to believe that Woz fully deserves the credit for that slice of our computing history where he indeed made an outsized impact. And I even give Jobs credit for having the right smart friend at the right time and pushing his friend's hobby project into the mainstream at a time when apparently the public was ready to start dabbling in personal computers. I give the U.S. education system credit for somehow seizing on the personal computer: recognizing that computing was going to be an important part of kid's future and going all in. (I'm not sure the degree to which it may have become a self-fulfilling prophecy though?) I've seen Woz speak over the past decade or so and he does seem to be trying to get the spotlight on himself for his contributions. I don't hear Woz dabbling much in revisionism though. I don't blame him for trying to cement his own legacy in an age where it does seem Jobs is the one being given all the public credit for "inventing the personal computer". Again though, if you are focusing on the very early 1980's, you would be remiss to ignore both Steve's role in moving the needle with regard to the introduction of the personal computer.
- quitit 4y ago
  That's the self-selecting part I'm alluding to - let's say Apple et. al. went bankrupt. With Microsoft and Gates then being the well known early computer. Would we today instead credit Gates as the man who really drove computers into households. It's of course impossible to say, but it is something I wonder about - like who are we not crediting by focusing too tightly on Steve & Woz: especially when I think to the GUI.

by quitit 4y ago

IMSAI8080 4y ago

I think you're right, there is a danger of a revisionist aspect due to the fact that so many people have iPhones in their pockets. We might end up with "Steve Jobs invented the personal computer" as the layman's opinion of computer history. There were dozens of other machines that could have easily been the Apple II and Apple had a great amount of luck. One anecdote I remember reading is the guys that wrote VisiCalc (which was a strong reason Apple became successful) were originally intending to write it for the Commodore PET. When they went to start coding for the first time all the PETs were in use but an Apple II was available. A butterfly flaps it's wings and all that.

bookofjoe 4y ago

See, for example, his appearance on "Squawk Box" two months ago: https://youtu.be/LqwmkIE66iY https://youtu.be/LqwmkIE66iY

JKCalhoun 4y ago

I have wrestled with this as well — the revisionism as you call it. But I've come to believe that Woz fully deserves the credit for that slice of our computing history where he indeed made an outsized impact. And I even give Jobs credit for having the right smart friend at the right time and pushing his friend's hobby project into the mainstream at a time when apparently the public was ready to start dabbling in personal computers. I give the U.S. education system credit for somehow seizing on the personal computer: recognizing that computing was going to be an important part of kid's future and going all in. (I'm not sure the degree to which it may have become a self-fulfilling prophecy though?) I've seen Woz speak over the past decade or so and he does seem to be trying to get the spotlight on himself for his contributions. I don't hear Woz dabbling much in revisionism though. I don't blame him for trying to cement his own legacy in an age where it does seem Jobs is the one being given all the public credit for "inventing the personal computer". Again though, if you are focusing on the very early 1980's, you would be remiss to ignore both Steve's role in moving the needle with regard to the introduction of the personal computer.

quitit 4y ago
That's the self-selecting part I'm alluding to - let's say Apple et. al. went bankrupt. With Microsoft and Gates then being the well known early computer. Would we today instead credit Gates as the man who really drove computers into households. It's of course impossible to say, but it is something I wonder about - like who are we not crediting by focusing too tightly on Steve & Woz: especially when I think to the GUI.