Blast from the past (July 1976): First feature story about the Apple Computer Company

The story by R.S. Jones appeared on page 91 of the July 1976 issue of INTERFACE magazine (above).

Excerpts:

At the "core" of this company lies a well-disciplined, financially sound group that is opening new vistas in computer hardware, software and service to their clientele.

Steven Jobs, Director of Marketing attributes their success to the ability to understand the personal computing market and to respond rapidly to its needs.

The creative and innovative talent behind much of the design of the Apple I rests with Stephen Wozniak, Director of Engineering.

Both Jobs and Wozniak have been longtime associates, since college days. Prior to the Apple Computer Company, Jobs was a private consultant to Atari, and Wozinak [sic], a staff design engineer at Hewlett-Packard.

If the current results of the first product are any indication, then long term success is not a question. When do they start producing the second generation "giant on a board" the Orange-I?

Wrote Walter Isaacson in his superb biography of Jobs about the 1976 article on the Apple I:

The first feature story on the new machine appeared in the July 1976 issue of INTERFACE, a now-defunct hobbyist magazine. Jobs and friends were still making them by hand in his house, but the article referred to him as the director of marketing and "a former private consultant to Atari." It made Apple sound like a real company. "Steve communicates with many of the computer clubs to keep his finger on the heartbeat of this young industry," the article reported, and it quoted him explaining, "If we can rap about their needs, feelings and motivations, we can respond appropriately by giving them what they want."

Clearly it wasn't yet time for Jobs to ignore what "they" wanted in favor of what they didn't even know existed — and would not only want, but need.

[via Cyberhades]