Stephen Wozniak - Computers Interrupt College, The 1970s

THE COMPUTERS INTERRUPT COLLEGE (1970S)

After finishing his junior year at UC-Berkeley, Wozniak took a summer job at Hewlett-Packard. The summer job turned into a 10-year career, and Wozniak didn't return to UC-Berkeley until 1981, after he and Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computer Co.

While working for Hewlett-Packard during the summer of 1970, Wozniak also spent time working on his own computer designs with his friend Bill Fernandez. One of Fernandez's friends was 15-year-old Steve Jobs, who shared Wozniak's fascination with computer technology. Wozniak and Jobs began to share ideas and tinker with electronic projects together. They also shared a love of practical jokes and technological challenges. In one instance, they created an electronic device that could tap into telephone company computers to make free long-distance calls.

Wozniak and Jobs joined the Homebrew Computer Club in 1975. The group consisted of computer programmers and engineers who met informally to discuss computers, software, and electronics. Wozniak was inspired by their enthusiasm for computer technology and decided to design a computer that would incorporate all of the latest technological advances into one simple machine. At the time computers were massive, complex machines that only computer professionals could use.

Wozniak first wrote a detailed software program for the yet-to-be-built computer. Then he found inexpensive and easy-to-find components to build a personal computer for the software to run on. When he showed it to the members of the Homebrew Computer Club, they were impressed, but none more than Steve Jobs. Jobs convinced Wozniak they should establish a company to sell the new computer.