Revolution in The Valley [Paperback]

part four

He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t.

This is an inexorable, indisputable law.

  Pablo Picasso

Steve Wozniak University

September 1983

Burrell’s educational credentials

After numerous delays, the launch of the Macintosh was finally scheduled for January 24, 1984, so we had to start doing publicity for it in the fall of 1983. Steve decided to anoint some of the engineers plus a few others as the official “Macintosh Design Team,” which meant we had to prepare to be interviewed by the press. Because some magazines have lead times of more than three months, interviews were scheduled as early as October.

As part of the preparations, our publicity gurus, the Regis McKenna press liaisons (known as the Rejettes), asked each of us to fill out a questionnaire. The standard questions were asked, such as date and place of birth, degrees, etc. Our answers would be used as the basis for a fact sheet that would be handed out to the press.

Burrell, who never attended college, didn’t know how to answer the “College Attended” question. But, true to form, it took him only a moment to come up with the perfect answer: “Steve Wozniak University.” I think you could say that, in some fashion, we were all graduates of Steve Wozniak University.

The official Macintosh design team. Left to right: George Crow, Joanna Hoffman, Burrell Smith, Andy Hertzfeld, Bill Atkinson, and Jerry Manock.

The Mythical Man-Year

October 1983

Steve estimates the effort that went into QuickDraw ...