Steve Sakoman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Steve Sakoman is a computing executive. He recently retired from Apple Computer and is now software project leader at Gumstix, a maker of very small computers based on the ARM architecture running Linux.
He originally worked at Hewlett-Packard as a manufacturing engineer and project manager for the industry's first battery powered portable MS-DOS PC, the HP-110. He then moved to Silicon Graphics and as director of Consumer Products & Technologies Group. This included work on the Nintendo 64 graphics system.
Sakoman moved to Apple Computer in 1984 where he would oversee the hardware groups responsible for the Apple II and the Macintosh product lines. In 1987 he formed the team behind the Apple Newton to realise his vision of the world's first PDA.
Sakoman left Apple in 1990 before the Newton shipped to set-up Be Inc. with former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée. At Be, he led development of the original BeBox, personally developed BeOS's support for Brooktree video-capture devices, and eventually worked as the company's Chief Operating Officer. During this time, he ran a webcam inside Be's offices using the CodyCam application.
PalmSource acquired Be in 2001 and Sakoman took on a role there as Chief Products Officer where he was a key member of the team behind Palm OS 6.
Sakoman rejoined Apple in 2003 as Vice-president of Software Technology reporting to Avie Tevanian.
Sakoman also setup GutenTalk in 2004 - a site to discuss eBooks specially formatted for PDAs and other hand-held readers.
