The Steves
He’s a legend. He’s a genius. He’s the legendary genius who built, from the ground up, one of the greatest tech companies of today. His first name is Steve. And without him, Apple would be nothing more than a household fruit. He’s Steve Wozniak.
Terribly sorry. I do believe you were expecting someone else. You were probably thinking of the other Steve. The manipulative, semi-bald, and LSD-loving, Mr Jobs.
But how is Steve Jobs not responsible for my iPhone, iPad and MacBook? He’s that super tech guru that’s so good at speeches and promoting his products, right? He’s practically a god, right? Wrong.
Steve Jobs’ only role is to stand in the spotlight. To cast a shadow on all the hard-working minds that are behind Apple. Sure, he makes Apple seem sparkly and wonderful. However, that gargantuan shadow that he’s created submerges the legendary genius.
So, who is Mr Wozniak? Well, he’s the guy who single-handedly developed the first Apple computer- the Apple 1- which was the product that turned the two garage-dwelling-Steves into millionaires. So what was Mr Jobs’ speciality?
After developing a game called “Breakout” for Atari, Jobs and Wozniak decided to split the pay 50-50. Jobs got $5000 for the job. He’d told Wozniak that he had only gotten $700. Guess what? Wozniak got paid $4650 less than Jobs. No wonder Steve Jobs has never given to charity.
Jobs had metaphorically backstabbed Wozniak. They were best buddies. They trusted each other. If Wozniak, the pardoning gentleman that he is, had not forgiven Jobs, then Apple would likely not exist today.
Wozniak’s tolerance and leniency were the deciding factors on whether you would have that iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. He is, after all, the legendary genius. He had absolute control over Apple in the early days. If he had decided to leave Apple at any point, Jobs would’ve been left with nothing. No speech topics, products to promote, or best friends to rip-off.
Remember when you were shocked at my earlier statement on Steve Jobs? When I called him “LSD-loving?” Well, that wasn’t an exaggeration. “Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life.” That’s a direct quote from Steve Jobs. Let that sink in for a while.
Now you’re thinking, why was a manipulative druggie running a multi-billion dollar company? Well, that’s Steve Jobs’ greatest trait. You can almost think of him as a con artist.
Jobs doesn’t know a thing about microprocessors, ram, central processing units, motherboards, or anything that makes up his products. Yet, he runs one of the greatest tech companies of all time. He’s the big figure that stands up in front of Apple. The funniest part is that he never brings anyone else on stage.
I’m not saying that Jobs hasn’t been a beneficial part of Apple. There is an argument that Mr Jobs helped to publicise and promote Apple. Yes, he was very good at speeches. However, when you become a billionaire CEO, it’s a good idea to acknowledge the people’s backs that you’ve stepped on in the past.
Yes, I’m talking about Steve Wozniak. He’s the co-founder of Apple. He’s the brilliant mind that’s behind some of the most exceptional products of this world. He’s the Steve that many people don’t know, appreciate, or recognise. I know money doesn’t mean everything, but Steve Jobs has a net worth that’s a hundred times greater than his partner. Aren’t they co-founders of Apple?
The point I’m trying to make here is that “thank you” isn’t a part of Jobs’ vocabulary. I wouldn’t go as far as calling him selfish, but rather a narcissistic, egoistic, and self-centered, man.
Yes, it is true that Wozniak didn’t want the spotlight. By the same token, he is a computer nerd. His success is displayed with Steve Jobs’ words. Wozniak is the man who stood underneath the stage when the crowd applauded. He’s the man who had to cope with Jobs’ antics of manipulation and narcissism. He’s the man who was never mentioned by his best friend. Wozniak is the representation of the rest of Apple’s brilliant minds: each living the shadow of Mr Jobs.
My point isn’t that the majority of Apple consists of quiet nerds and geeks, no. Instead of stamping his face on everything, Steve Jobs should’ve recognised, at least once, the unique people who design Apple’s products. Be it, geeks or nerds, using pronouns doesn’t mean you mentioned anyone, Steve. “We, here at Apple” translates to meaningless.
Now we’re in the present; time has passed. Mr Jobs has passed away. Only one Steve remains. Despite the quarrels that they’ve been through, I’ll miss the duo. Wozniak and Jobs have shown that the only people who can change the world are the ones crazy enough to do so. Two garage dwellers have revolutionised technology as we know it. Although Wozniak had more to do with the revolutionising, it’s still fair to acknowledge their work together.
In conclusion, I’d like to ask Mr Jobs a question. Steve, if you’re listening, I hope you took the steps to Buddhist heaven. If you can, come back down to Earth. Find some way to apologise to Wozniak. Whether you’ll reincarnate into a lion, zebra, whale, or ant; Wozniak deserves some appreciation. Too few people know about your friend, but people will remember you till the end of time. So, please, do me that favour. Apple should be recalled as the invention of the two Steves, Wozniak and Jobs.
