The Computer Evolution

I'm almost finished reading iWoz. I'm really in awe of the amount this guy managed to achieve. The incredible thing is that you can tell through reading that he actually has principles and has continued to stick to them despite his success.

The story should act as a real inspiration for anyone working from their bedrooms (well, webcam adult sites excluded) on new ideas and concepts as well as show that you can continue to have fun and be your own person whilst doing so.

What was quite an insight however was that what was regarded as revolutionary in terms of consumer computers using keyboard, monitors a floppy drive and a hard drive, was to him quite evolutionary. The next step. It's not that it all came to him... the more he developed the more he saw where things could go. This makes the concept of agile development techniques in innovation even more concrete - get something started and build on it.

His relationship with Steve Jobs comes across as quite cold - in fact he is rarely mentioned in the book at all. Having read iCon not too long ago I can understand why. Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak are as far apart personality wise as you could imagine - sometimes opposites do attract, but whether this can survive a lifetime as a frienship i'm not so sure. Too many opportunities to argue.

See him interviewed by Guy Kawasaki :