Woz interested in returning to Apple in an active role
While in Brighton, England attending a computer server conference, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, told a reporter he would be open to returning to Apple in a active role if Apple or Steve Jobs requested it. Currently, Wozniak is chief scientist of storage start-up Fusion-io, but he remains on Apple's payroll in an advisory role.
Apple has come a long way since the Apple I and Apple II, which Woz helped build alongside Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. When asked what he thought of Apple today, Wozniak said Apple was "Unbelievable. The products, one after another, quality and hits." However, Wozniak added that he thinks "Apple could be more open and not lose sales. I'm sure they're making the right decisions for the right reasons for Apple."
Tim Cook is currently the acting CEO of Apple, overseeing its day-to-day operations while Steve Jobs is on his third medical leave. There has been much speculation as to who would replace Steve Jobs should he step down from the CEO position, but it's unknown if those on Apple's board would consider Steve Wozniak a likely successor.
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While in Brighton, England attending a computer server conference, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, told a reporter he would be...
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Been away too long, very likely lost eye of the tiger. He needs to prove himself all over again.
April 10 2011 at 1:06 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyHe's so big and fuzzy, why not have him back as some kind of mascot. Maybe he can each the team so ballroom dancing steps. Then again...
Maybe not...
There's a reason why Woz is no longer at Apple and long may it remain so. I like the guy but Apple has moved on there are much more capable people at Apple.
April 09 2011 at 6:07 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyTo the folks debating Cook v Forstall etc. Who says the visionary has to be wearing the crown. So long as Cook has the brains to see where they are going with their thoughts, why can't he be the big guy and Fostall, Ive etc keep doing what they do best, designing.
April 09 2011 at 5:45 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyWhen I first saw this story posted on another forum, I emailed Woz and asked him if he wanted to "weigh-in" on this topic.
Below are his comments, which he graciously allowed me to re-post (actually, his exact words were "PLEASE do that for me!" So, without further ado, here is what WOZ has to say:
When I first saw the headlines it was just another totally wrong one. I did an interview in Brighton the other day with this female Reuters journalist. The entire interview was about Fusion-io, at the SQLbits European conference, with myself and David Flynn, our CEO. At the end she asked about whether I'd return to Apple and I thought and said "no" and told her some reasons it was impossible. So she sits there and asks "with all the exciting things going on at Apple, would you consider going back?"...I said "yes" but explained that it could not happen. What you read is based on the one "yes". So I didn't read a single article about it. I was on planes and am writing a speech now for a humanist award I'm receiving tonight in Boston and don't have time to get into this one. Too bad.
This reporter took notes by hand but I think the Fusion-io publicist Shannon might have recorded it.
The circles in the Venn diagram of people who have been on Kathy Griffin's reality show and people who are in the running for CEO of Apple do not intersect.
You need to think of Woz as more of a mascot for Apple at this point. Think Ted Williams doing a quick circle around Fenway in a golf cart in his later years... except now it's a Segway... and Woz will be too big for the cryo machines...
He could be a great part of the Apple Segway Polo team.
April 09 2011 at 8:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYeah, the Woz ain't chasing for Steve's job, clearly he wants to be where the action is and I suppose he'd be back working in the engineering areas of products really.
Eitherway, it'll be super awesome to see what comes of it, kinda hoping for there to be little if any culture clash that could epically screw it up.
That is a tad unfair. He isn't begging for a job. He was asked whether he would be willing to return to Apple if they asked him and replied sure, he'd go back. For all we know, he didn't mean it but knew that was the answer they were expecting to hear. But Woz knew he was safe because Apple would never ask. Hell, when he left and became an 'advisor' it might have been written in the deal that they would never ask.
April 09 2011 at 10:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWoz isn't begging for a job as he does have other places he could go off to but this thing is speculative and there's nothing like rabid speculation to cause people to have fever dream-like visions of the Other Steve's ascension to the throne. Somehow.
But yeah, I doubt he'll be coming back to the payroll full time in any role outside of advisor which he already has.
Will never happen. Steve is not aligned with Apple's strategies. Tim Cook is being groomed for the post.
April 09 2011 at 7:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyCook is a decent leader, fantastic at supply chain and a good caretaker CEO. I don't think he's the visionary CEO that succeeding Steve Jobs would require. My money is on Scott Forstall.
April 09 2011 at 9:03 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply@WGFinley, I'm with you on Scott Forstall being the next person within Apple to replace SJ. It's all about the platform these days & iOS plays the biggest role in shaping the future of Apple's platform. With Forstall in charge of that division, that makes him a great pick. Plus the fact that he's been working with SJ since the Next days, means he's fully ingrained in Apple's culture and SJ's leadership style.
Johnny Ive & Tim Cook are super smart at what they do but I don't think they really have the visionary leadership style or skill to steer Apple's future.
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