Steve Wozniak just sent this fun stunt caught on video a few years ago: Watch him deliver a Mac to Emma, a girl who freaks out when she realizes her idol is at the door carrying her new computer. As Emma's father says in the video: "This is like having your lightbulbs delivered by Thomas Edison." He's totally right. Updated with Steve's explanation.
The father tells the story:
A few years ago, Steve and Janet Wozniak came to town to help us have a little fun with our kid Emma. Emma's dad met them around the back of the block to give them Emma's new iMac, and then they drove back around and rang the doorbell to deliver it... and shocked the heck out of Emma and her sister and friends. Little sister Elizabeth got the iPod Touch as a "one more thing," and Janet shot the video.
Steve's known to be quite the practical joker, and it was very kind of him and Janet to spend the time to do this...and make a great memory for all of us.
I don't blame her for being stunned. I was 39 when I met Steve for the first time and I was completely awestruck myself. It's cool to see young kids having this kind of awe and respect for the man who made the personal computer a reality, one of the greatest engineers of our time.
Update: Steve wrote back with how it happened:
An email-only acquaintance, Peter Fraser, came up with the idea and asked if I'd do it. I met him around the block to get the computer from him. After a short wait I drove to his house and surprised his daughter. But I had to keep driving to Tahoe that evening.
Rather often when I meet people after appearances they mention how much it would have meant to someone in their family to meet me. I often ask them for the phone number and dial their son or spouse and pretend to be from Apple customer support asking questions about how they like their Apple products and more. It's like a satisfaction survey. I either give my name early on or later and I ask the questions straight faced, like I really do it for Apple.