Book Summary: iWoz by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith

(Note: This is a re-post with minor edits. I once posted this summary in my old blog in 2007, which does not exist now).

Book Title: iWoz (by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith)

This book is about Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, who single-handedly created the Apple I and the famous Apple II. He’s also inventor of many other less-known amazing things.

Steve Jobs may be more popular, but I think I like Steve Wozniak more, I believe he is a really kind and honest man. And of course, he’s a genius, brilliant man.

The story starts from his childhood time, when his father (worked in secret projects for US government)  taught him a lot about engineering things, making him understand how things work. He was champions to many science projects in school. The story ends in present time, where he spends his time doing charity works although still officially is an employee of Apple Inc (by the time of this book written).

His knowledge about electronic circuits, his experiments, his works have changed the computer world forever. While working at Hewlett-Packard (making calculators), he joined a group of friends interested in computer related things and so he came up with the idea of building a computer called the Apple I, but it was the Apple II that gained huge success. Apple Computer, the company which he co-founded with Steve Jobs and some other friends, went public and became a huge company and so he got rich very rich.

Steve Wozniak is the one who changed the looks of computers. Back then, computers are strange machines with panels and switches, without keyboards and monitors.

I really enjoy reading this book. It’s amazing to learn how things have changed so fast in about 20 years in the computer world, how an inventor like Steve Wozniak works (he described the logic behind some of his inventions).

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