Apple co-founder created groundbreaking product that earned Guinness World Record after quitting tech giant in 1980s
The co-founder of Apple once earned a Guinness World Record Apple after creating a groundbreaking product.
After leaving the tech giant he helped to create in the 1980s, Steve Wozniak went on to make a little-known product with his new company CL 9.
The gadget itself was known as the CL 9 Core which went on to receive a Guinness World Record.
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So, how did the device work? The CL 9 Core was essentially one of the first programmable universal remote controls.
The product was released in 1987 and its purpose was to control multiple home entertainment devices with just one remote.
This included TVs, VCRs, cable boxes, stereo systems and LaserDisc players.
The gadget was clearly ahead of its time but it failed to become a big commercial success.
This was down to a number of factors including the price tag. The CL 9 Core didn’t come cheap as it set consumers back by a whopping $400 - which is a lot of money now, let alone in the 80s.
The programming was also very complicated for most users to be able to wrap their heads around.
However, despite the failure in stores, the innovation behind it became a benchmark for later home products.
The product is also officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as being the first universal remote control.
In the title, it states that the CL 9 Core is the first remote in the world that could be programmed to control multiple devices as it learned the infrared codes from other remotes.
Another key co-founder of Apple was the late Steve Jobs, who surprisingly was once firmed from the firm he helped to build.
Issues began when Jobs expressed an ambition to become CEO of the firm, which sparked major disagreement amongst the other board members.
Some claimed that Jobs was known for creating a toxic work environment and was ‘abrasive’ with people.
Jobs was fighting for the focus to be on personal computers, which John Sculley saw as a failed direction for the company.
When Jobs raised the issue with the board, he was ultimately fired from Apple, or quit, depending on differing accounts.
In a big u-turn later on, Sculley went on to say that Jobs was ‘the best CEO ever’ and remarked on his effective leadership.
Jobs continued to have a legacy at Apple of being a ‘demanding perfectionist’ and relied on having industry foresight in order to stay ahead of the game.