Does Steve Wozniak worry about innovation at Microsoft and Apple?

What worries “the Woz?” Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke at TEDx in Brussels and shared his perspective as a “gadgeteer” and expressed some genuine and relevant concerns about ownership rights of items we all store in the cloud, a result of a head-long rush to embrace new technology so fast.

He also is asked a direct question as to whether Microsoft is more innovative than Apple, to which he explains some remarkable perspective that Microsoft has perhaps been working through serious changes to foster innovation over the past 3 years while Apple was busy "making a new iPhone" and “falling a little behind.” That prospect does worry “the Woz” as well, but also shares it in the context of times where Apple was stuck in a cycle of just improving products rather than re-inventing them.

In the grand scheme of technology for most of the world, Wozniak does feel that devices like the iPad are ideal for 90% of the people out there, whereas the rest of us are “computer geeks.” He likes using all the different technology that is out there and is eager to be blown away by the “next big thing.”

To round out the interview, Wozniak is asked for his thoughts about the changes in leadership at Apple, with the departure of Scott Forstall and John Broweet. Steve explains there may be more than just the issues of Apple Maps, but he is hesitant to offer anything concrete since he did not know them personally. He does shed insight to the late Steve Jobs and his personality in terms of what he was like to work with in contrast to the culture at Apple now.

In his look to the future, he hopes Apple is embarking on a more open environment where ideas are born rather than by “force.”

source: TechCrunch