Opening the very first Apple I... and paying for it C.O.D.

Over at Computer Shopper, ex-editor-in-chief Stan Veit has posted a great analogy of the first time he was approached by two supercharged young whipper snappers: the young masters Jobs and Wozniak.

We were just beginning to realize that the Computer Mart of New York might be a success beyond our dreams and that the little space in Polk's Hobby Store might not be enough, when I received a phone call.
It was a very fast-talking young man who told me, "I'm Steve Jobs."

He said that he had been sent by Paul Terrell and John French, who had both bought his great single board computer and become dealers. Paul had bought 50 of them! This was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and he had to send me one.

"Sure, send it," I said....

Whammo! Next day FedEx delivered a package C.O.D.: five hundred dollars!

I was a little taken aback, but I paid the charge and gave the package to Dave, one of my best techs. "Here. Look at this, and let me know what you think," I told him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A computer, the Apple I."

"Whaddya mean a computer? All in that little box? Come on!"

For some reason, I find it incredibly Jobs-like that he would send a promotional Apple computer to a potential retail partner C.O.D.

Apple Computer: The Very Early Years [Computer Shopper]

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by cowtown , December 8, 2008 1:16 PM

My favorite bit below:

Mrs. Wozniak [Woz's mom] said, “Don’t feel bad, you were not the first person Jobs offered stock in the company for a small investment. When the boys needed printed circuit boards, Jobs offered an interest in the company to the man who did the boards. However they managed to pay for the boards and the man never got any stock. When Apple went public, Jobs would not give stock to several employees who made the Apple possible. My son gave them stock out of his allotment, or they would have never benefited from the long hours and devotion they put in to start the company. If you had given Jobs the money, he would have found a way to keep you from getting the stock."

I also always keep in mind the quote from Jobs in Cringely's Triumph of the Nerds to the effect that Jobs saw nothing wrong with how Microsoft did business; he just resented their inelegant products.

#2 posted by James