Difference between Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs
Apple is one of the most iconic names in the computer industry, and the two men who were largely instrumental in its establishment–Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak–are no less legendary. When the two set up shop in 1976, little did the world know just how significant an impact the company will make in computer technology. The Apple Corporation is still in existence and in fact is still one of the foremost names in personal computers and mobile technology today, although Jobs’ and Wozniak’s have taken different paths. Let's take a look at some of the high points in the careers of these two remarkable men.
The Early Years
Steve Wozniak was born on August 11, 1959, in San Jose, California. He attended the University of California although he left to work for Hewlett-Packard before getting his degree. Among his earliest forays into the world of computers was a membership in the Homebrew Computer Club, where along with Steve Jobs, they worked on a variety of projects involving hardware and software. Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco. He attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 1972, although like Steve Wozniak, he too dropped out–albeit after only one semester–to work for a then rising video game firm called Atari. He attended a series of lectures at Hewlett-Packard Co. while still in high school and that was where he and Wozniak became friends.
Strengths
Of the two, Steve Wozniak was the recognized computer and software genius. He was instrumental in many of Apple’s early successes, although Steve Jobs was of course a necessary part of the partnership as well. What Jobs brought to the table was a marketing élan that helped the fledgling firm gain a foothold in the then burgeoning personal computer industry.
Career Paths
With the IPO of Apple Computer in 1980, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs both became multi-millionaires. Jobs stayed on at Apple and became the company’s chairman, and Wozniak would leave Apple after a plane crash in which his memory was adversely affected. Interestingly enough, Steve Wozniak was and still is considered to be an employee of the firm, perhaps owing to his early work. Jobs for his part left Apple after a power struggle in 1985, although he would return to the fold ten years later.
Summary
Steve Wozniak
- Attended the University of California but left before getting his degree.
- Worked at Hewlett-Packard
- Started out in the Homebrew Computer Club with Steve Jobs
- Specialized in computing and software
- Left Apple after a plane crash that affected his memory
- Remains an employee of Apple to this day
Steve Jobs
- Studied at Reed College in Portland, Oregon
- Dropped out of college to work for Atari
- Was a member of the Homebrew Computer Club along with Steve Wozniak
- Was the marketing expert to Wozniak’s computer genius
- Left Apple in 1985 after a conflict with then CEO John Sculley, although he did return to the company ten years later.
