we had absolutely no idea what people were going to do these things when we
were going to do these things when we
were going to do these things when we started out matter of fact the two
started out matter of fact the two
started out matter of fact the two people it was designed for was was in my
people it was designed for was was in my
people it was designed for was was in my support because we couldn’t afford to
support because we couldn’t afford to
support because we couldn’t afford to buy a computer kit on the market so we
buy a computer kit on the market so we
buy a computer kit on the market so we liberated some parts from Hewlett
liberated some parts from Hewlett
liberated some parts from Hewlett Packard and Atari and worked on a design
Packard and Atari and worked on a design
Packard and Atari and worked on a design for about six months and decided that we
for about six months and decided that we
for about six months and decided that we would build our own computer so we built
would build our own computer so we built
would build our own computer so we built and once was up till 4:00 in the morning
and once was up till 4:00 in the morning
and once was up till 4:00 in the morning for many moons and we got it working we
for many moons and we got it working we
for many moons and we got it working we showed some of our friends it’s
showed some of our friends it’s
showed some of our friends it’s immediately everybody wanted and it
immediately everybody wanted and it
immediately everybody wanted and it turned out there took about 40 hours to
turned out there took about 40 hours to
turned out there took about 40 hours to build one of these things and about
build one of these things and about
build one of these things and about another 20 30 40 50 bucket and we had a
another 20 30 40 50 bucket and we had a
another 20 30 40 50 bucket and we had a lot of friends at work that similar
lot of friends at work that similar
lot of friends at work that similar companies who could liberate the parts
companies who could liberate the parts
companies who could liberate the parts also every sterling of our time helping
also every sterling of our time helping
also every sterling of our time helping our friends to build computers and it
our friends to build computers and it
our friends to build computers and it was just getting to be a tremendous
was just getting to be a tremendous
was just getting to be a tremendous drain on our lives so we got the idea
drain on our lives so we got the idea
drain on our lives so we got the idea one day that we could make a printed
one day that we could make a printed
one day that we could make a printed circuit board without the parts and it’s
circuit board without the parts and it’s
circuit board without the parts and it’s le blank printed circuit boards to our
le blank printed circuit boards to our
le blank printed circuit boards to our friends and probably cut the assembly
friends and probably cut the assembly
friends and probably cut the assembly and debug time down to you know five ten
and debug time down to you know five ten
and debug time down to you know five ten hours so woz SOLAS hp6
hours so woz SOLAS hp6
hours so woz SOLAS hp6 calculator and I sold my van we got
calculator and I sold my van we got
calculator and I sold my van we got 1,300 bucks together and we pay our
1,300 bucks together and we pay our
1,300 bucks together and we pay our friend of ours who is this PC board
friend of ours who is this PC board
friend of ours who is this PC board layout person thirteen hundred bucks to
layout person thirteen hundred bucks to
layout person thirteen hundred bucks to do us a layout and decided we’d sell
do us a layout and decided we’d sell
do us a layout and decided we’d sell printed circuit boards twice what it
printed circuit boards twice what it
printed circuit boards twice what it costs to build them and hopefully recoup
costs to build them and hopefully recoup
costs to build them and hopefully recoup our calculator and transportation
our calculator and transportation
our calculator and transportation assembly today so that’s what we did and
assembly today so that’s what we did and
assembly today so that’s what we did and I was out trying to peddle PC boards one
I was out trying to peddle PC boards one
I was out trying to peddle PC boards one day and walked into a bike shop the
day and walked into a bike shop the
day and walked into a bike shop the first bike shop in Mountain View and
first bike shop in Mountain View and
first bike shop in Mountain View and Paul Terrell then owner of the bike shop
Paul Terrell then owner of the bike shop
Paul Terrell then owner of the bike shop said he would like to take 50 of these
said he would like to take 50 of these
said he would like to take 50 of these computers and I saw dollar signs in
computers and I saw dollar signs in
computers and I saw dollar signs in front
front
front and but he had one catch which was if he
and but he had one catch which was if he
and but he had one catch which was if he wanted them fully assembled and tested
wanted them fully assembled and tested
wanted them fully assembled and tested ready to go which is a new twist so we
ready to go which is a new twist so we
ready to go which is a new twist so we spent the next five days on the phone at
spent the next five days on the phone at
spent the next five days on the phone at distributors and convinced the
distributors and convinced the
distributors and convinced the electronics parts distributors around
electronics parts distributors around
electronics parts distributors around here to give us about $10,000 worth of
here to give us about $10,000 worth of
here to give us about $10,000 worth of parts on thin air
parts on thin air
parts on thin air this time enthusiasm so we got the parts
this time enthusiasm so we got the parts
this time enthusiasm so we got the parts and we built 100 computers and we sold
and we built 100 computers and we sold
and we built 100 computers and we sold 50 of them for cash and 29 days paid off
50 of them for cash and 29 days paid off
50 of them for cash and 29 days paid off the distributors and that’s how we got
the distributors and that’s how we got
the distributors and that’s how we got started so we had 50 computers left over
started so we had 50 computers left over
started so we had 50 computers left over while that meant we had to sell them so
while that meant we had to sell them so
while that meant we had to sell them so then you started worrying about
then you started worrying about
then you started worrying about marketing worrying about distribution
marketing worrying about distribution
marketing worrying about distribution got on the phone of the other computer
got on the phone of the other computer
got on the phone of the other computer stores around the country and gradually
stores around the country and gradually
stores around the country and gradually the whole thing began to build momentum
the whole thing began to build momentum
the whole thing began to build momentum and at that point in time we had some
and at that point in time we had some
and at that point in time we had some feeling that we were on to something but
feeling that we were on to something but
feeling that we were on to something but the feeling was so different than the
the feeling was so different than the
the feeling was so different than the experience of actually seeing it happen
experience of actually seeing it happen
experience of actually seeing it happen right now it’s entirely different and
right now it’s entirely different and
right now it’s entirely different and sometimes a lot a lot of people ask what
sometimes a lot a lot of people ask what
sometimes a lot a lot of people ask what did you know it was going to much go
did you know it was going to much go
did you know it was going to much go into this phenomenon and you could say
into this phenomenon and you could say
into this phenomenon and you could say yeah you know we planned it out we had
yeah you know we planned it out we had
yeah you know we planned it out we had led on a piece of paper but different
led on a piece of paper but different
led on a piece of paper but different than the experience of seeing 500 people
than the experience of seeing 500 people
than the experience of seeing 500 people working at Apple computers but different
working at Apple computers but different
working at Apple computers but different than the experience of seeing a
than the experience of seeing a
than the experience of seeing a five-year-old kid who really understands
five-year-old kid who really understands
five-year-old kid who really understands what he’s the tool that he’s got in
what he’s the tool that he’s got in
what he’s the tool that he’s got in front
”
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