Apple Inc. is a multinational technology company that has become a household name over the years. The company has released numerous groundbreaking products, including the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, which have become a part of our daily lives. However, Apple’s journey started with a single computer: the Apple I. In this blog post, we will explore the history of the first Apple computer and its impact on the technology industry.
The Apple I, also known as the Apple Computer 1, was the first product created by Apple Inc. It was designed by Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple, and introduced in 1976. The computer was sold as a motherboard, without a keyboard, monitor, or case. Users had to add their own peripherals, including a power supply, keyboard, and display, to make it work.
The Apple I was a revolutionary product at the time of its release. It was the first personal computer to be sold as a fully assembled motherboard, and it was also the first to include a video display controller, which allowed users to connect it to a TV monitor. The computer featured a 1 MHz MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, 4 KB of memory, and a cassette tape interface for loading and saving programs.
Despite its limitations, the Apple I was a popular product among hobbyists and early adopters. The computer was priced at $666.66, which was a significant amount of money at the time, but it was still cheaper than other computers on the market. Apple sold around 200 units of the Apple I, and most of them were sold directly to consumers, without the help of a dealer network.
The Apple I was a critical turning point for Apple Inc. It paved the way for the company’s future success by demonstrating its commitment to innovation and quality. The computer’s success also helped the company secure investment from venture capitalist Mike Markkula, who played a vital role in the company’s growth in the years to come.
The Apple I also had a significant impact on the technology industry as a whole. It inspired a generation of computer enthusiasts and hobbyists, who went on to create their own companies and products. It was also the first computer to use a standard keyboard, which became a standard feature on all future computers. Finally, it showed that personal computers could be useful and accessible to the general public, which helped to usher in the PC revolution of the 1980s.
The Apple I was the first computer released by Apple Inc. It was a groundbreaking product that helped to establish the company’s reputation for innovation and quality. The computer’s success paved the way for Apple’s future success and had a significant impact on the technology industry as a whole. Although the Apple I is no longer in production, it will always hold a special place in the history of personal computing.