“Steve Wozniak Is A Silicon Valley Treasure”

As he took us through the museum, it became apparent how brilliant an engineer he is. He stopped at the Apple-1, the company’s first computer and the machine that first put computers into the grasp of “the rest of us.” His vision for the Apple-1 when it shipped in 1976 was simple – and profound.

“I didn’t design this computer to make a lot of money and start a company,” he said. “I wanted to accelerate the world advancement in the social revolution.” The Apple-1 would be a new way to communicate. A new way for the individual to exercise power.

He walked over to the Apple II on display nearby.

“This is my real gem,” he said, “the greatest design of my life.” And no one – not a docent, no guard, nobody – said a word when he pulled off the top panel to show the machine’s motherboard. “About half as many chips,” he said.

Great story.