An Apple (II) for Teacher

The history lesson here is juicy enough on its own: Apple’s early home computer became a smash hit, Steve Jobs chased the next big thing, and the rushed follow-up flopped in embarrassing fashion. But in the comments, readers were way more interested in the vibes than the circuitry. The real breakout star? Woz — the soft-spoken co-founder who, instead of turning into a power-hungry tycoon, became the kind of rich nerd who went back to school, taught kids, and somehow ended up feeling like the internet’s favorite wholesome legend.

That mood absolutely took over the thread. One commenter flat-out declared, “Woz is the kind of nerd I always aspired to be,” which pretty much became the unofficial slogan of the discussion. Others turned the piece into a full-on nostalgia festival, remembering classrooms packed with Apple II machines, giant school computer labs, and endless rounds of Oregon Trail. Minnesota readers gave a love letter to MECC, the education software company behind school staples, saying the programs were everywhere and genuinely great. In other words: this wasn’t just a computer, it was a childhood main character.

And then there was the delightfully random side drama: commenters being stunned that Woz knew David Lee Roth, because of course the most lovable man in early computing would also have bizarre rock-star crossover energy. So yes, the article is about Apple’s rise, Jobs’ ambition, and a famous product stumble — but the comments turned it into a referendum on who people actually wanted to root for, and Woz won by a landslide.