Facts about Apple's history you probably didn't know

There are documentaries and movies like Triumph of the Nerds and Pirates of Silicon Valley which give an insight into how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started apple and revolutionized the PC industry. There is a lot of other material out there too accurately based on what was initially recorded in the history. But did history accurately record what really happened? According to Steve Wozniak's autobiography "iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon" a few of the facts went inaccurately in the history and they stayed like that. Even to this day people are of their belief. Woz has tried to get some facts straight. Here is a comprehensive list of widely believed facts that, according to Steve Wozniak, were inaccurately recorded initially and got spread:

  • Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were not classmates. They were several years apart. Though Jobs attended the same school Woz did.
  • Unlike Steve Jobs, Wozniak did not drop out. He took off from Berkley and after doing Apple-II he returned to school and completed his degree.
  • The two Steves did not design the first Apple computer together. Steve Wozniak did it alone.
  • Steve Wozniak did not quit Apple in protest. Although he was not satisfied the way Apple II team was treated, his main reason was that he wanted to start a new company to develop universal, programmable remote controls.
  • Steve Jobs was never fired from Apple. Steve resigned from Apple in 1985 after he was stripped of his responsiblities by the board.
  • When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, iPod and iMac were already designed by Jonathan Ive. Steve just put certain things in order and marketed them really well.
  • Technically, Steve Wozniak never left Apple. He's still on Payroll of Apple and holds an employee cards even to this date!