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Woz talks to Bloomberg about Steve Jobs movie, turning down a return to Apple and electric cars

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Interviewed by Bloomberg, Steve Wozniak reiterated his comments about the difference between fact and fiction in the Steve Jobs movie, saying that almost nothing shown actually happened, but that it was about personalities, not facts.

It’s a great movie. If Steve Jobs had been making movies, this is the quality it would have had.

Asked about the accusation made by Tim Cook and other Apple execs that movies about Jobs were opportunistic and didn’t accurately portray the man, Woz said that the movie showed Jobs at an earlier time in his life … 

Everything any business does is opportunistic […] These movies go back to a former place in time […] Some of these people, like Tim Cook, weren’t around in those days.

Woz, who was a paid consultant on the movie, had previously said that he felt like he was “actually watching Steve Jobs,” later expanding on this to comment more generally on Jobs’ personality.

Woz said that he did feel Apple was still an innovative company, but that’s not just about a continual stream of new product categories.

The state of innovation in Apple is high […] You reach a point where a product like a phone kind of reaches a plateau, and the thing is to make sure the product works as well as possible.

He did, though, think an Apple car had great potential, saying that Apple could make a car that was as good as, or better than, his much-loved Tesla.

I’m extremely optimistic about the Apple Car […] How is a company like Apple, the largest company in the world, going to grow? It has to do something huge financially, and cars are about to go through a huge [change].

Woz also revealed that Jobs asked him if he wanted to return to Apple. The way he described it, it sounded more like Jobs offering him the opportunity rather than actively soliciting him, but Woz says he was never tempted.

Steve Jobs has asked me questions along the lines [of coming back to Apple] close to his death, and I told him no, I love the life I have.

The full video interview is available over at Bloomberg.

The movie opened at the weekend to the highest per-theater average takings of any movie this year, with full nationwide rollout by October 23.

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Comments

  1. @dannypwins - 8 years ago

    This quote was spot-on
    “Everything any business does is opportunistic […] These movies go back to a former place in time […] Some of these people, like Tim Cook, weren’t around in those days.”

  2. 89p13 - 8 years ago

    Woz still seems to be the Ying to Jobs’ Yang. I’m glad that Woz is still around and relevant to Apple.

    • thisisasticup - 8 years ago

      Woz isn’t relevant to apple. He just likes the attention, apple has completely changed since he was there.

      • 89p13 - 8 years ago

        Not to troll you – but without Woz Apple wouldn’t be Apple. Your statement is akin to saying that Bill Gates isn’t relevant to Microsoft.

        In both cases neither person may be currently relevant to their respective companies – but neither company would exist without them in the past.

  3. PMZanetti - 8 years ago

    “Woz, who was a paid consultant on the movie,”

    Ah. Makes sense.

    • JBDragon - 8 years ago

      WAZ has been away from Apple for YEARS. What WAZ knows these is way, way out of Date. If we were building Apple I and II PC’s these days, OK, but 20+ years, a whole lot has changed. I also don’t think JOBS offered him a Job. At least nothing that would be tech related. Maybe Public Relations or something along that line. Why would WAZ want to do that. Why work anyway when you have enough money to play around with. Especially at his age when he can relax and enjoy life.

  4. I wish Wozniak would shut up. He hasn’t done anything useful or meaningful in 30 + years.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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