Ep 2. Riding the Bear

In season 1 episode 2 of Triumph of the Nerds titled "Riding the Bear," the personal computer industry is booming, and it's all thanks to a little company called Apple. The episode follows the story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the co-founders of Apple, and their journey in creating the personal computer that would launch their company and change the world forever.

The episode begins with the rise of Homebrew Computer Club, a group of computer enthusiasts who meet regularly to share ideas and build their own personal computers. Steve Wozniak, who was a member of the club, was inspired by the Altair 8800, the first real personal computer, and decided to create his own version. With the help of Steve Jobs, they created the Apple I, which was sold as a kit to computer hobbyists.

The success of the Apple I inspired Wozniak to create a more advanced computer, the Apple II, which became a huge success in the personal computer market. Jobs, with his marketing genius, coined the phrase "personal computer" which became synonymous with the Apple II.

However, the success of Apple didn't come without challenges. IBM, a giant in the computer industry, had recently entered the personal computer market and was dominating the competition. Jobs knew that in order for Apple to survive, they needed to create a computer that could compete with IBM.

This led to the creation of the Macintosh, which was designed to be easy to use and more visually appealing than any other computer on the market. However, the development of the Macintosh was a long and difficult process that strained the relationship between Jobs and the rest of the Apple team. Eventually, Jobs was forced out of the company he co-founded and went on to create his own computer company, NeXT.

Despite the challenges, the Macintosh was eventually released and became a huge success. The episode ends with Jobs returning to Apple and the company becoming one of the most successful in the personal computer industry.

Overall, "Riding the Bear" is an engaging and informative episode that showcases the perseverance of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in creating the personal computer that revolutionized the world. It highlights the challenges they faced and the risks they took in order to create something truly innovative. Anyone interested in the history of technology or entrepreneurship will find this episode fascinating.