I’ve been writing Woz-influenced code..

January 3, 2018

Question from E-mail

Hi, Woz. My dad got me an Apple ][ back in 1979, and I found it so clean and crisp and cool that within days I did a CALL -151, and I’ve been writing Woz-influenced code ever since. Thanks for Wozifying the world!

Ok, I’ve just got to know. Which HP calc was it that most influenced the Apple 1 and ][, the HP 9830 (1972) or the HP 9825 (1976)? The Apple ][ looks a lot like the 9825, but given your tenure at HP, I’d have to guess it was the very cool 9830 with built-in BASIC that had the most influence on you.

Woz

I’m glad to find so many people that still remembering being inspired in the CALL -151 days!

All the small HP Calculators, the HP 35, 45, 55, 65, and 67 influenced the Apple II. They did it in the sense that each key had a worthwhile function meaningful to humans. Each key merely activated it’s own program. A calculator was complete. It didn’t need accessories and peripherals and programs just to have a keyboard you could use.