Core Viewpoint - The article narrates a story about Chris Espinosa, one of Apple's earliest employees, who creatively addressed Steve Jobs' design critiques by allowing him to directly manipulate the design of a calculator program, leading to a successful outcome and highlighting the importance of hands-on experience in design processes [2][19][24]. Group 1: Background of Chris Espinosa - Chris Espinosa joined Apple at the age of 14, making him one of the youngest employees [4]. - After a brief period in college, he was persuaded by Steve Jobs to return to Apple to work on the Macintosh project, emphasizing the unique opportunity to be part of its creation [5][6]. Group 2: The Design Challenge - Espinosa faced continuous criticism from Jobs regarding the design of a calculator program for the Macintosh, leading to a frustrating iterative process [11][12]. - The team was under pressure to create technical documentation and tools for third-party developers, with QuickDraw being a core component of the Mac system [8][9]. Group 3: Innovative Solution - To resolve the design impasse, Espinosa created a "Steve Jobs Self-Made Calculator Kit," allowing Jobs to directly adjust design parameters, which led to a satisfactory design outcome [13][15][24]. - This approach demonstrated the effectiveness of hands-on interaction over verbal communication in design processes [24]. Group 4: Impact and Legacy - The calculator program, finalized based on Jobs' adjustments, was included in the first Macintosh released in 1984 and remained in use for 17 years until the introduction of Mac OS X [18]. - The method used by Espinosa is considered a precursor to modern visual design tools, showcasing the importance of user interaction in software design [19][21]. Group 5: Reflections on Management Style - The story illustrates Jobs' management style, where he knew what he wanted but struggled to articulate it, highlighting the need for direct engagement in the design process [23][24]. - The anecdote reflects a broader commentary on the evolution of design processes in tech companies, contrasting the past's individual decision-making with today's collaborative approaches [25].

Core Insights - The article narrates a story about Chris Espinosa, one of Apple's earliest employees, who faced challenges in designing a calculator program for the Macintosh due to Steve Jobs' high standards and constant feedback [1][6][9] - Espinosa's innovative solution involved creating a "Steve Jobs Self-Made Calculator Kit," allowing Jobs to directly manipulate the design parameters, which ultimately led to a successful calculator interface for the Macintosh [11][12][22] Group 1: Background of Chris Espinosa - Chris Espinosa joined Apple at the age of 14, making him one of the youngest employees [2] - He initially left Apple to attend the University of California, Berkeley, but was persuaded by Jobs to return and join the Macintosh team [3][4] Group 2: Design Challenges and Solutions - Espinosa faced repeated criticism from Jobs regarding the design of the calculator, leading to a frustrating iterative process [9][10][21] - The breakthrough came when Espinosa created a toolkit that allowed Jobs to customize the design himself, which proved to be an effective communication method [11][12][22] Group 3: Impact and Legacy - The calculator design, finalized based on Jobs' preferences, was included in the first Macintosh released in 1984 and remained in use for nearly 20 years [16][22] - This incident highlighted a unique aspect of Jobs' management style, where he preferred hands-on interaction over verbal communication, influencing future software design practices at Apple [17][21][23]

一则关于苹果早期团队设计 Mac 计算器的真实故事：当乔布斯嫌设计太丑，工程师只能教老板自己动手。 1982 年 2 月，苹果的第 8 号员工 Chris Espinosa（当时才 21 岁）遇到一个让很多人共鸣的问题——他的老板 Steve Jobs（乔布斯）太爱"指点江山"了。 当时 Chris 正在为 Macintosh（后来 1984 年发布的那台划时代电脑）设计一个计算器程序，提交了多个版本都没过。乔布斯不断挑毛病：按钮太大、颜色 不对、排版不好看……改了一遍又一遍。 改到最后，Chris 实在受不了了。于是他想了个聪明的办法——干脆做了一个"乔布斯自制计算器套件"，让乔布斯自己去拖拖拽拽、随心所欲地设计他想 要的样子。 这个故事后来被另一位苹果工程师 Andy Hertzfeld 记录在他的网站 Folklore.org 上（https://www.folklore.org/Calculator_Construction_Set.html），也由外媒 Arstechnica 披露出来，让众人了解到了这家科技巨头曾在软件设计、研发维度的一些趣事。 | Calculator | | | | --- | ...