Apple has become a company that everyone knows and recognizes. If you haven’t heard about Apple, you must be living under a rock. It is considered one of the world’s most valuable brands and it is estimated that at least 64% of Americans own an Apple product. The Apple company produces the most popular technology of this century, and it always stays on demand.
What you may not know about Apple, is how the idea came about, and how it came to be the monstrous company that it is today. It all started when two Steves’ united, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
How They Met
Both Jobs and Wozniak met at lectures at Hewlett-Packard Co. They were introduced by a mutual friend by the name of Bill Fernandez. Their friendship kicked off as soon as they met since they were both interested in technology and were also quite the prankers.
They also were both involved in a local organization called The Homebrew Computer Club. The Homebrew Computer Club was a group that discussed and experimented with hardware, software, and video games.
Jobs wanted to start a company on his own to build computers and convinced Wozniak to start it with him.
It Started with an Idea
Both Jobs and Wozniak wanted a personal computer made for individuals rather than for large companies. This is when Wozniak had the idea of creating a computer that was essentially the combination of both a typewriter and a television.
According to Wozniak, he had initially begged HP to make the Apple I. They turned him down five times, imagine that! Wozniak had shared in one of his interviews that if it wasn’t for Job’s support of his idea, the Apple computer would have not been created.
Wozniak and Jobs both sold their valuables to help fund the production of Apple Computer Inc. What did they sell you wonder? Jobs sold his Volkswagen Microbus. Wozniak sold his HP calculator. (They were worth a lot more back then!!)
Apple I
The Apple 1 computer was the first computer that Wozniak and Jobs created. The computer was the first single-board computer to have onboard Read Only Memory (ROM), along with Video Interface.
They sold their first fifty machines to a dealer called Byte Shop in Mountain View, CA. This Apple I computer when it was launched, retailed for $666.66. Apparently they chose that number because Jobs wanted to make a profit and Wozniak preferred repeating digits.
Apple II
With the success of the Apple I computer, the Apple II computer became even more successful and it was one of the first home personal computers being sold.
The differences between the Apple I computer and the Apple II computer was that the newer version added more RAM (Random Access Memory), color graphics, sound capabilities, more expansion slots, and a plastic case.
The Apple II retailed for $1,298 with 4 KB of RAM. They also were selling one for $2,638 with 48 KB of RAM.
Apple Inc.
Today it is known as Apple Inc., but when it was initially founded by both Steves, it was called Apple Computer Inc, founded in April 1, 1976. Steve Jobs handled more of the “face of Apple” and being in the public eye, as well as handling marketing and promotions. Steve Wozniak stayed more behind the scenes and focused more on actually creating and developing the new products
According to several other articles, Wozniak left Apple in 1983 due to a diminishing interest in the day-to-day running of Apple Computers. He liked to have a smaller focused group rather than being a huge empire and not being able to focus on the details of the products.
Apple Inc. reported that they made $245B in their 2019 First Quarter Earnings Report. They generated more money compared to the previous quarter.
Today’s Apple Products
Although Apple may have started off making personal computers, Apple has changed the way we use technology today. Today, Apple has several products that is is very well-known for. These products include the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Macbook.
The iPod is known as being a portable music player and in the newer versions of the iPod, it is similar in some features to the iPhone as you are able to download apps and use FaceTime. The iPhone and the Macbook are the most popular Apple products on the market as they are the most demanded products from consumers.
The Apple Watch changed the watch industry. The Apple watch allows iPhone users to sync their phone and their watch. This allows them to view their phone notifications through the watch, text, call, track their exercise, and other watch features.
Where are they Today?
Unfortunately, Steve Jobs passed away of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 2011 at the age of 56. Steve Jobs was worth $10.2B at the time of his death. Most of that money not only came from Apple but also from Disney. Jobs was a shareholder of Disney and held about 7% of the company’s shares.
Steve Wozniak although has stepped down from Apple, he is still considered an employee. He didn’t remove himself from the official employee list and still continues to represent Apple at events. Besides still being considered an Apple employee, he is also an Apple shareholder. As of today, Steve Wozniak’s net worth is $100M.
Looking at the Future
Apple continues to bring out new products as time and technology keeps moving forward. Apple has changed the way we use technology and continues to make advancements. They are currently one of the most well-known tech giants in the world, and have consumers wanting their products every time a new one comes out.
Currently Apple is releasing their new iPhone 11 as well as trying to promote their new subscription service called Apple TV. As time continues to pass, Apple consumers only expect better technology and products to be developed from the company.
Apple is one of the largest and most valuable tech brands in the world. We can only assume that Apple will only continue to grow and make more money as it continues to bring out new Apple products. Steve Wozniak and Steve Job’s legacy will continue to live on.
