In all things computers, there’s one company that has always played a very important role – Apple Inc. It’s no secret that the American tech giant is a leading company when it comes to technological advancements.
It is also a leader in the global production of computers. But have you ever wondered, how and when the first-ever Apple computers came into existence? What were their features and specifications?
Are there any of these to be seen today? In this article, we take you on a trip back to history and introduce you to the first computer to be ever produced by Apple, Apple Computer I. So without any further adieu, let’s start!
The History of Apple’s First Computer
Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne – the founders of Apple came together to form the company Apple on April 1, 1976. By July of the same year, the company’s first computer, Apple-I was on sale.
This computer was unlike the compact and feature-embedded that we see today. It was essentially a basic circuit board having a very basic processor, and a built-in video terminal.
Users of the computer were supposed to buy other components like keyboard and monitor set separately. In fact, buyers could only use this computer for developing computer programs, playing some simple games, and running the BASIC operating system.
Guess what this seemingly simple machine was priced at, back then? A whopping $666.67!
Interestingly, only about 200 units of Apple-I were ever produced, before the makers decided to stop its production to focus on Apple-II. Today, about 70 of these Apple-I computers still exist in different parts of the world.
Fun fact: To fund the development and production of the first Apple-I, Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator for $500 (£318). Jobs, on the other hand, had to sell his VW Microbus!
These Were the Specs of Apple-I
Apple 1, though a breakthrough in the computer industry, was a very simple device when seen from the present-day perspective. The following are the exact specs of the Apple-I.
- Processor – MOS Technology 6502 1MHz processor
- RAM – 8KB RAM,
- Graphics – 40×24-pixel
The components of this machine were packed into a compact case and bore Apple’s original logo as well.
When the First Apple-I Was Auctioned
A celebrated unit of Apple-I, which is considered to be the first unit of the model to have ever been produced, went for auction recently. And do you know what it was sold for at the end of the auction?
Someone chose to pay $815,000 for this first unit of the first Apple computer to have ever been made! Although, the expected highest bid for the unit was set to be $1m.
More than 80 bidders participated in the auction of this computer set, and 10% of the amount garnered went to the New York-based Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The buyers of the computer, Glenn and Shannon Dellimore, intended to use the computer as inspiration for young people by taking it on the road to schools and universities.
Another Fun Fact – The auctioned piece was a computer of briefcase form-factor, that contained the original documentation and user manuals from 1976-77, along with an original article written by Steve Jobs himself!
The Bottom Line
Apple, no doubt, is one of the leading manufacturers of premium computers across the world. Rightly so, the company has come a long long way.
The company has evolved and innovated continuously to introduce several new breakthrough features and technologies. No doubt, a quick walk-through of the first Apple computer, Apple-I is a testimony to this fact!