Distinctly Montana Magazine

"Inch for Inch, the best museum in the world" Dr. Edward O. Wilson with a price tag of $666.66. Only 40 Apple 1 comput- ers remain and one of those can be seen at the museum. It was a gift from Steve Wozniak who came to Boze- man in 2000 to accept the Stibitz Award for inventing the Apple 1 and II and for co-founding the Apple Com- puter Company. In 1976 he went into partnership with Jobs, five years his junior. They had first met in Cuper- tino, California, when they were 21 and 16 years respec- tively. Jobs dismissed their age discrepancy explaining: "I was a little more mature and he a little less mature, so it evened out." "Woz," as he prefers to be called, pioneered the concept of a truly personal computer: Jobs directed the design and marketing of the Apple. Woz excelled at engineering designs. Jobs provided the artistic standards. Sadly, Jobs died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011. At their first meeting in 2000 an immediate friendship developed between Wozniak and the Keremedjievs. He returned to Bozeman in 2002 to deliver the keynote speech at the annual Stibitz Award. Woz made two substantial donations to the museum. He asked if there was anything he could give besides money. George requested an Apple 1 com- puter. It is one of the most valuable items in the museum. While I was browsing the Steves exhibit, I overheard a visitor say, "I came here because I was interested in seeing things in a museum that are used every day." An excellent point, but possibly the reason why many people don't come. The human element of the technology story is evident in the eight interconnected rooms. "Behind every invention is a human being," Barbara Keremedjiev tells a visitor. Each room, chock full of surprises, unfolds a story that is as old as recorded history. It was that narrative quality of the museum that Dr. Edward O. Wilson found so attractive. As we toured the rooms George emphasized that technol- ogy has made it possible for many people to live and work in Montana. Business can be done long distance with the aid of a computer and smart phone. Then he pointed out surprising connections with the past. For instance, in the markets of the ancient world the counter sat at a table. Buy- ers brought their purchases to him and he tallied the cost. The table and the man were known as "the counter." the same word we use in our shops and kitchens today. It is 68 DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SPRING 2012

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