February 25, 1981: Apple’s original CEO Michael Scott oversees mass layoffs and then throws a massive party. Apple’s layoffs follow a hiring boom that led to what Scott called a “bozo explosion” at the company. They are also the first sign that the fun startup culture of Apple’s early days is gone forever. “I said … Read more
February 15, 1982: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is on the front cover Time magazine for the first time. The long opening story makes Jobs the public face of a successful technology business. The first of many Time cover for Jobs, the article — titled “Striking It Rich: America’s Risk Takers” — casts him as the … Read more
February 13, 1984: The launch of the first Mac created a huge excitement in the tech press that epitomized the year InfoWorld cover story on Macintosh 128K. The wave of coverage comes weeks after the January 24 release of the Macintosh. But when the press blitz finally arrives, it’s clear that the Mac is a … Read more
February 7, 1981: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is involved in a serious plane crash in California, resulting in his first extended leave from the company. At the time, Wozniak flies a turbocharged, single-engine, six-seat Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC. On the plane with Woz are his fiancé Candi Clark, her brother and her brother’s girlfriend. Fortunately, no … Read more
February 6, 1985: Co-founder Steve Wozniak, frustrated with Apple’s shifting priorities, leaves the company to pursue outside interests. His departure — which comes in the same year that Steve Jobs left Apple to create NeXT — marks another big change for the company. The move mostly stems from Woz’s dissatisfaction with the way management treated … Read more