Flying

Question from E-mail

This question regards your interest in flying.

I wonder if you gave up flying after your accident? What drew you to take up flying and what have you learned from your flying experiences. Also what was the technical cause for your accident. I vaguely recall, from the book ‘The Woz’ that it was a loss of power during climb out.

Woz

I kept flying after my accident. I had no memories of the accident or pain or hospitals or anything. A type of ‘forward’ amnesia kept me from forming memories during the next 5 weeks. So there was no anxiety when I got in a plane again. I was just going flying for another time, that’s all. The best explanation for my crash is that I didn’t have enough speed for a takeoff. I wanted so badly to find out what had happened that I even underwent hypnosis, to no avail.

Young computer users

Comment from E-mail

I am 16 years old and I am running a small web business out of my house. Do have any good advice on starting a business I heard many stories about you such as creating the first usable computer for home use? All I can say is that you and Steve Jobs have change the world and I thank you. My company is called http://www.angelfire.com design its nothing much I am still not used to creating sites. Before my business I was doing web graphics which I am still offering to people. Well I hope you get a laugh out of my site it is still experimental. The graphics still have problems they may be unveiwable. Send a response on what can do to make it better. Your friend Andrew P

Woz

More and more I encounter young computer users like yourself trying to start a company and put their talents to good use, most often in web site design and maintenance. For many close to me I’ve been able to provide facilities (my office) and internet access and servers and workstations. Even if I can’t see the likelihood of success, the right ones don’t need brick walls.

In the days of our first computer, the Apple I, Steve Jobs and I attended PC-76 in Atlantic City. We were so young that it was my first time out of California, except for a year of college in Colorado. We met many other young people like ourselves, all trying to make something out of computers, which were their interests. I remember talking with an older, white-haired, gentleman. He was helping out some kids that were trying to start something. He had helped them use some machine tools to make cases and had helped them get a business plan and had helped them with things like tax filings, as I recall. He was retired, he just did this to help out youngsters.

I thought that he was the most amazing person, to give to some young people for no obvious or visible reason.

Captain Crunch

Comment from E-mail

Woz, I was in contact with Captain Crunch a while ago, do you have a link to his homepage? ..He mentioned you in one of our conversations. Take it easy. –Neil

Woz

I actually host his server, on an iMac, in my ‘office’ home. His domain is webcrunchers.com and his email is: John Draper crunch@webcrunchers.com

About John Draper

Comment from E-mail

I saw John [Draper] at a 2600 meeting a few months ago. He is doing good, he was off to India the day after. he is big into raves now and meditation. he was trying to get me to go to some meditation session with him. Hes a funny guy. Even though he is a lot older than us (i’m 22), it’s like hanging with one of the guys 🙂 –ryan

Woz

Thank you, even though I happened to know this one. I have helped John a lot recently. I gave him a PowerBook to use and sent him a better one in India (had to pay 45% import duty). I host his web site on an iMac in my ‘office’ home. I hear from him all the time.

John Draper (Captain Crunch) always had amazing stories about flaws in Ma Bell and ways to take advantage of them. Once he showed me how to tap the FBI and I did it myself, from a normal phone. That’s just one of many many things. John was a little to weird and dangerous to be a close friend but I always wanted to see him every few months to catch up on interesting hacker stories. Life wouldn’t be as fun without this sort of thing, even though I didn’t really do it myself. I originally believed that John was an ethical hacker, only using a blue box to find flaws in the system. So I was that way, in his stead. I learned how to do all sorts of stunts with the blue box but I paid for all my own long distance calls from the dorm. That’s true. I was so careful only to do what I considered right that I told my parents everything that I did with the blue boxes and other boxes. That’s true also. In later years, I found that very few phone phreaks were this ‘ethical’ type, even John. Check out his domain: www.webcrunchers.com

I don’t like Mac programing

Comment from E-mail

Well i’ve been interested in computers since my dad first bought a 386 and at the time it was the most up to date thing available. I never knew much of the history of computers (well not the time of the movie was based). I mastered the BASIC language (seems like ages ago) and have moved on to much more advanced languages.I’m sorry i do tend to drag on. But i just want to say i don’t like mac programing but i love the hardware and from what i understand your the man behind it and i just want to say that I can’t express in words what i think you’ve done for the world and inderectly for me. So thank you for your genius. I just want to ask you if you’ve had an active part in the designing of the new macs. and if you ever had any idea that computers, software, and the internet would ever amount to what it is now.Thank you on behalf of me and everyone at www.archaic.net (still getting out the kinks) 🙂

Woz

I’m glad that you appreciate the Macintosh hardware, but you’re wrong to credit me in any way for it. My hardware design talents were applied to the Apple I and Apple ][ computers and related peripherals. This occured long ago. It was the basis for Apple’s start and fame. The Apple ][ kicked off the personal computer recognition, and legitimazed the market. Although I was the sole logic designer and programmer and ‘inventor’ in this sense, the contributions of others, primarily Steve Jobs, were critical to how this computer struck the world. Without a nicely packaged product in an attractive, acceptable plastic case that said “I’m OK in your home” this product would have died like the other hobby computers for Nerds. Apple was successful not just because of a great piece of hardware but because of the right communications and the complete product (including manuals and ads and our employees and priorities) the world got the message that it was time to change a lot of things in our lives. Steve Jobs truly deserves the visionary credit here. The Macintosh came about in later years and it was truly Steve’s project. There were actual hardware and software engineers that did the equivalent of what I’d done on the Apple ][ but I was not among them. At that time I’d returned to college and sponsored some huge rock concerts. (Just to set the record straight for you)

Big Satellite in the Sky

Question from E-mail

What would be a good source for a guy like me to learn from in order to write an electronics oriented visual hardware design program for linux? And where the heck are the specs on them hardware languages?

I’m thinking of some sort of open hardware project.

One of the itches I need to scratch is namely a two way radio (stereo system/LAN compatible) that evolves out of the restrictive linear addressing scheme used these days. The other itch is to get it secured under an open patent. (whatever that means)

It bothers me FM can only carry 100 regional stations because it’s limited to 88 to 108 Mhz at 200khz boundaries.

I have a design (still a bit vaporware) that allows a user to create their own radio signature. Through two carrier waves and one “scaling” component, it creates a complex carrier pattern. It then shifts the pattern into the FM radio range. Finally you modulate your message onto the carrier. It also takes the 100 station limit and pumps it up to 10^6, as long as I can prove mathematically that the carrier patterns are unique. Funny thing is, I can only get uniqueness if I go for the million station design. However, it is vapor, but hopefully not for long.

I know we have the Internet. However it seems we’re not going to get better bandwidth including a true peer to peer global system unless we have phone companies put us through their satellites as soon as they feel like it. They’re already scaling back modem bandwidth since they’re only required to provide voice service. Besides the words “Big Satellite in the Sky” are as comforting as … “Echelon Satellite in the Sky”.

By the way, have you noticed some schools have been favoring homework on computers but still place actual learning of computers (C, ASM, COBOL) at the college level. I get slightly miffed when people tell me they learned assembly in High School.

Woz

If I had time, I’d want to meet you. You are very bright and trying to do things beyond the limits. It’s fascinating. I agree with you about computer technology as belonging in all school levels, and I speak out on this at many speeches to education groups every year. The biggest problems are in the politics and bureaucracies of schools, but the major problem is lack of funds to allow changes or get more done in the same time. For example, one teacher with a handful of students can cover material many times faster than with a class of 30, and every student in the tiny class gets enough attention to guarantee success. Public schools set the level of how much we spend per student. Public schools are funded through the government. Government moneys are parcelled out according to voting strengths. But maybe only a third or less of families have kids in schools. The kids are the ones that need the schools but they don’t get to vote. A family of five should have five votes. Then all of this would change and education would get more respect and there would be time for computer science.

In the meantime, why teach cursive? Why upper case? How many times have you calculated where two canoos will meet? Someday we’ll sacrifice something for the sake of teaching computer science. It’s important and beneficial. So is driving and so is TV but cars and TV aren’t the primary educational tool of the century (this statement has a Y2K problem). Best wishes, Steve

Evets Kainzow

Question from E-mail

What are your views on the importance of computer games in the role of a platforms sucess? Do you still play computer and console games? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Woz

Not much due to lack of time. My kids beat me at almost anything. I am extremely good at Tetris on the Gameboy and had my name listed in Nintendo Power magazine a few times in the early days for my top scores. After they wouldn’t print my name any more I submitted an entry with my names spelled backwards, Evets Kainzow, and they printed it! When I saw the issue, I’d forgotten that I’d sent it in and was worried that someone was challenging my own level! My current high score is 702,000 and my goal is 750,000. I gave GameBoys to Gorbeshev and Bush when they were in office. A week or so later Bush had heart problems. On TV he was shown playing the Game Boy in the hospital.

I also roll the score over (1,000,000 points) on the Williams “Defender” arcade game, which I have in my home.

I play solitaire on my PowerBook and once won 33 games in a row, standard settings. The trick is to only play the ones that deal a very good setup and to back up as much as possible to find a win if it doesn’t come easily.

I like reading the Bridge column in the paper, and our paper carries a ScrabbleGram word game. I play this almost every day and wrote programs to solve it and I put it on the web (Scrabblegram.com) for a while a couple of years ago.

I don’t mind gambling. Video Poker slot machines are my favorite. But I’m watching my 14 year old daughter for luck. She was in Las Vegas with me (and my class of 11 year olds, who were attending a “Mac Academy” in Ceasar’s Palace and played Keno for the first time. She won $1600 on a $1 ticket. This was at age 9. Her second time was at age 12. I told her not to expect to win when she plays Keno. But, during breakfast, when I looked up she’d won $7500. I wish I’d copied her numbers.

The “open source” movement

Comment from E-mail

I read in your comments that you were giving away your early designs. This seems to fit with the current popularity of the “open source” movement, and I wonder if you feel that the recent opening of the OSX Darwin kernel is a step in the right direction for Apple. Many people develop free software for free operating systems. Do you? If so, does the new Apple initiative inspire you to code for OSX?

Woz

That’s a very astute observation. I gave away schematics of the Apple I at the Homebrew Computer Club. I also demoed enhancements to the Apple ][ every 2 weeks at the club. It was the opposite of normal corporate secrecy.

I don’t have time to develop now but I appreciate the people who do so in the open source movement. It’s been a long time since that was halfway normal. It makes me hopeful because young talented people have a chance to do more than stand by and watch and be paid a salary.

Thank you for your time

Comment from E-mail

Thank you for your time, and I hope that the recent increase in fame does not make life too crazy.

Woz

Unbelievably crazy. I’m trying to read and answer each email.

Andy Hertzfeld

Comment from E-mail

Dear Woz.. for whatever reasons i have always been a fan of you and Andy Hertzfeld. i know where you are, but i have lost track of Andy since his general magic days. have any idea where he is or what he is doing? Thanks for everything you have done for all of us, Ryan b. G.

Woz

Andy, one of the original Macintosh software geniuses, is one of the most incredible persons that I have ever known. He also has an incredible memory for interesting things involving Apple. Andy got interested in internet servers and related facilities some years ago. He set up his own domain and T1 lines and routers and all the stuff that I’ve done for a long time. He is a hands on person. He got interested in Linux and is working on open software. Most importantly, he got married. Next most important, he is great fun for everyone around him. The list of things that I could say about Andy is way too large, but he might be able to tell you.

Apple I specs

Question from E-mail

Hello, Is there any chance I could get a copy of those Apple I specs that you mentioned? I’d love to learn some hardware hacking, and can think of no better way to start than by building one of the computers that started it all.

Woz

Sorry. There were only 200 Apple I’s made and this was during 1976, a long time ago. I might have such specs in storage somewhere but don’t have time to go looking for mine. There are a few people that have Apple I’s and handier specs but not myself, sorry.

Moore’s law

Comment from E-mail

Woz, I would like to hear your opinions on modern computer directions. Are we where you expected to be by now? What do you see that is exciting for the future?

Woz

Too vague for me. Too unpredictable too. My latest hopes are for humanistic software but it may take until about 2020, assuming that Moore’s law ends for atomic reasons around 2012.

About your last name

Question from E-mail

Steve: I am writing about your last name. My last name, Wasnick was originally spelled Wozniak. The last name was changed when my family imigrated to the United States. I wonder if we are distant relatives? I’d really like to speak with you about this topic.

Woz

I like hearing about so many other Wozniaks as there are in this country (and beyond). But I can’t really talk about it because I’m no heritage expert. There are other Steve Wozniaks and a local one gets email intended for me all the time. On the other hand, I was picking up a ticket at Air Cal in San Jose one day and the agent said “aren’t you…” to which I nodded my head “…the DJ?”, to which I had to explain that I was ‘another’ Steve Wozniak. Our namesake John Wozniak had a tremendous hit song, “Sex and Candy” by his group, “Marci Playground.” I know that there are many other highly credible Wozniaks. I even have an uncle who is a priest (I’ve never been to church though).
This Polish name helped a lot when I visited Poland. I actually have photographs of one of my sons teaching Lech Welensa to use a PowerBook.

How accurate was the movie?

Comment from E-mail

How accurate was the movie when it showed the scene where you and Jobs were at a technology convention and when the doors opened and crowed flushed in, crowding yours and job’s booth, which was displaying, Apple I, i believe?

Woz

It reminded me of the West Coast Computer Faire where we introduced the Apple ][. We had the best booth space of all, right as you came in. We also had a video projector, which was quite a feat in that year. Our product was the Apple ][. I did pull a rather large prank at this show, distributing thousands of brochures for a non-existant product called the “Zaltaire.” But I don’t have time to elaborate here…Steve

Is it true that Bill Gates worked for Apple?

Comment from E-mail

this is a dispute that a friend of mine is having did or did not Bill Gates work for Apple at one time. Was he an employee, my friend said that that was inaccurate in the movie and I am under the impresssion, why would the film want to stretch something that far out to say that he worked for Apple, if only to foreshadow that one day, indirectly Bill Gates would own a piece of Apple and subsequently, Jobs would be working for him?

Woz

I find this interpretation humorous. Bill Gates did not work directly for Apple. But we did work deals and commission software to be delivered by Microsoft for our computers. In that sense he worked for us, but not as a programmer, i assure you. It’s funny to hear you say that Jobs now works for Bill. I’ll have to remember that one!…Steve

Email…

Comment from E-mail

I sent this email to you before, but didn’t see a response and i sent it to webmaster@woz.org so im not too sure you even got it, but here it is again, sorry if you received it already once, im sure you’re a busy person.

Woz

When you have hundeds of emails stacked up, it takes a while. Also, the webmaster links get your email to one of three friends (Dan, Alex, or Auri). Some other link gets your email to my secretary, Laura. A new one gets your email to me (host).
This note went to Alex and he didn’t forward about 160 of them until tonight. Also, Laura forwarded 140 tonight. I can’t answer email in minutes when things are this crazy, sorry…Steve

T.H.E. Spreadsheet

Comment from E-mail

I have an original copy somewhere of something I believe Woz wrote years ago which A.P.P.L.E. distributed very briefly called T.H.E. Spreadsheet, if memory serves, for the Apple ][. It appeared and disappeared quickly from distribution, although it was very fast and a good spreadsheet.

I got the impression this was a rarity. If Woz ever needed my copy (for sentimental or library/museum purposes), I would be honored to give it to him with my compliments.

Woz

That spreadsheet was very special and there is a long story that goes with it, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I have a copy of it and keep it in a special place. After it was given to Call A.P.P.L.E. by Randy Wigginton, going on what he thought was a verbal OK from Steve Jobs, Steve and Mike Scott yanked it right away. They only allowed the few that had been delivered to be sold, and then only with a note enclosed saying that it was being provided courtesy of them. Yet they were actually the ones restricting it’s availability!

What did you think about Newton Technology?

Question from E-mail

What did you think about Newton Technology? I would like to know that.

Woz

I always thought that computing devices should be smart and do things for us. The Newton has the smarts to read normal handwriting and to figure out handwritten commands like “Sara dentist tomorrow 11 AM”. It’s also more like a computer in a small package. Maybe PDA’s aren’t worth enough in people’s lives to need a mini-computer. The pocketable Palm Pilot is more a modern Sharp Wizard, but it came at the right time, when everyone who’d want it had a computer. It’s big step was easy synchronization. Too bad the Newton didn’t have this. The eMate did have easy file transfer over IR.

I loved taking notes for hours on my Newton. I’ll miss that the most. It’s screen was large enough for this. It will probably be a long time before I have that good a notetaking tool based on handwriting.

There are probably many more things to say. I tried the Newton 3 times througout it’s life and it only stuck at the end, with the MessagePad 2100. It was finally good enough in some ways that had bothered me before.

Apple and Microsoft

Question from E-mail

My question is what did Jobs and Apple get from letting Microsoft buy into them!? Was it just money when they needed it or something else!?

Woz

Steve wanted success for the Mac and that meant software and apps. Microsoft had to have a computer in order to write some. He may have not let Microsoft see much out of fear of a crash.

Apple saved my life

Question from E-mail

Just a note to say thanks for all you have done for Apple. Your contributions go a lot farther than you think. I grew up in a very inappropriate atmosphere… exposed to drugs and violence at a young age. My family life was the pits and I ended up on my own at the age of 15. I think one of the things that helped me keep my head on straight was the Apple computer. My elementary school principal was the first person in our town to own a computer (Apple II) and he had it in his office. One day, during a counseling session (family problems) he noticed I had an extreme interest in it and offered to let me use it for an hour a day. Little did I know that over the next few years my addiction to computers would make me see the world more clearly… make me realize I wanted more from life. Today I’m a photographer for the U.S. Air Force and use high end Macs at work all the time. I am currently working on my degree in computer science and hope to get it within a couple years. I’m happily married with four beautiful daughters that have no worries other than being children… just the way it should be. Apple is now a part of my children’s lives as they use our iMac at home.

I know you are well known for your contributions as an engineer… but your contributions to Apple changed my life.

Woz

I never imagined how many extremely touching emails like this one would arrive. There should be a book of all these stories where computers basically saved people’s lives and gave them direction and purpose. I’m glad that someone with your values has some children to share computers with. We feature famous people in our ads but we should be featuring people like yourself instead.

The fact that your children have an iMac at home to use lends credibility to your comment about Apple changing your life.