Echoing Apple Computer's advertising slogan of the 1990s, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak emphasized his desire to "think differently and not be one of the masses" yesterday to an eager audience in Roone Arledge Cinema.

During the speech, hosted by the Columbia chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, the auditorium burst into laughter time after time as Wozniak, known as "Woz," told his rags-to-riches life story. The event also included a signing of Wozniak's autobiography, iWoz.

"How did we come from nowhere?" he began.

Wozniak founded Apple Computer in 1976 with his former high-school classmate Steve Jobs, the current CEO of Apple. The two eccentric friends are credited with the invention of one of the first personal computers, the Apple I, which resembled a typewriter, and its much more popular and versatile successor, the Apple II.

"I love being the first at things," Wozniak said, cracking a smile.

Before the Apple I and Apple II, computers were not widely available to consumers. Wozniak said he sought to design one that catered to the "needs of the people and the home," which would let anyone compose letters, manage spreadsheets, write programs, and play games with ease. "We wanted to treat the human being as more important than the technology," he added.

According to Wozniak, the Apple II differed from earlier computers in that it did not have a front panel with "switches and lights." Instead, it had a keyboard and was designed as a graphics-based computer with a color interface. Before Apple, "no one would have expected color on a computer," said Wozniak.

Wozniak made clear that he has always been more interested in engineering and design than in business and management. Though he still holds a significant amount of stock in Apple and receives a small salary, he said he no longer has any major responsibilities at the company.

Throughout the speech, Wozniak recounted many humorous anecdotes about pranks he pulled in his youth. He also described some binds he got himself into, such as accidentally running the budget of his college's computer department five times over the maximum by his excessive computer use. The resulting bill was higher than the cost of his tuition.

Wozniak said he believes that "life is about how many times you laugh versus how many times you frown," and he still indulges in the occasional prank. On a recent flight, he posted homemade stickers that read "Do Not Flush Over Cities" in an airplane bathroom.

The room erupted with laughter. Woz grinned.