Stephen Gary Wozniak (/ˈwɒzniæk/; born on August 11, 1950), often referred to by the nickname Woz, is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer, philanthropist, and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Apple, Inc.. He and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs are widely recognized as pioneers of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.
Wozniak designed and developed the Apple I in 1976, which became the computer that launched Apple when he and Jobs marketed it that same year. He primarily designed the Apple II in 1977, known as one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputers, while Jobs oversaw the development of its foam-molded plastic case and early Apple employee Rod Holt developed the switching power supply. He also had major influence until 1981, along with computer scientist Jef Raskin, over the initial development of the original Apple Macintosh, which Jobs then took over following Wozniak's brief departure from the company due to a traumatic airplane accident. After stepping away from Apple in 1985 for good, Wozniak founded CL 9 and created the first universal remote, released in 1987. He then pursued several other business and philanthropic ventures throughout his career, focusing largely on tech in K–12 schools.