Apple I
Encyclopedia
The original Apple Computer, also known retroactively as the Apple I, or Apple-1, is a personal computer released by the Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in 1976. They were designed and hand-built
by Steve Wozniak
. Wozniak's friend Steve Jobs
had the idea of selling the computer. The Apple I was Apple's first product, and to finance its creation, Jobs sold his only means of transportation, a VW van. It was demonstrated in April 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club
in Palo Alto, California.
The Apple I's built-in computer terminal
circuitry was distinctive. All one needed was a keyboard
and an inexpensive television set
. Competing machines such as the Altair 8800
generally were programmed with front-mounted toggle switches and used indicator lights (red LED
s, most commonly) for output, and had to be extended with separate hardware to allow connection to a computer terminal or a teletypewriter machine
. This made the Apple I an innovative machine for its day. In April 1977 the price was dropped to $475. It continued to be sold through August 1977, despite the introduction of the Apple II
in April 1977, which began shipping in June of that year. Apple dropped the Apple I from its price list by October 1977, officially discontinuing it. As Wozniak was the only person who could answer most customer support questions about the computer, the company offered Apple I owners discounts and trade-ins for Apple IIs to persuade them to return their computers, contributing to their scarcity. In 1976, Concord High School Junior Wai Lee assembled one of the first 12 Apple 1's (no serial number) the first Apple Computer in an aluminum housing.
As of 2008, an estimated 40 to 50 Apple I computers are still known to exist, making it a very rare collector's item. An Apple I reportedly sold for $50,000 USD at auction in 1999, with another apparently selling in 2009 for $17,500; however, a more typical price for an Apple I is in the $14,000–$16,000 range. In November 2009 the Apple I with serial number 82 was listed on eBay with a starting bid of $50,000 but it is unreported as to whether the computer was sold. However, in November 2010, this same Apple I (with serial number 82) sold for the equivalent of $US178,000 ($US213,600 including the 'buyer's premium') at Christie's auction house in London,, making it by far the highest price paid for this model to date, at ($210,000). The high value of this particular example is likely due to the rare documents and packaging offered in the sale rather than the computer itself; namely (and amongst others) the original packaging (with the return label showing Steve Jobs' parents' address, the original Apple Computer Inc 'headquarters' being their garage), a personally typed and signed letter from Jobs (answering technical questions about the computer) and the original invoice showing 'Steven' as the salesman. The computer was brought to Turin University where it was used to run BASIC.
) produced using modern components, was released in 2003 at a price of around $200. Other replicas and do-it-yourself kits and instructions are available.
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
by Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak is an American computer engineer and programmer who founded Apple Computer, Co. with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne...
. Wozniak's friend Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
had the idea of selling the computer. The Apple I was Apple's first product, and to finance its creation, Jobs sold his only means of transportation, a VW van. It was demonstrated in April 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club
Homebrew Computer Club
The Homebrew Computer Club was an early computer hobbyist users' group in Silicon Valley, which met from March 5, 1975 to December 1986...
in Palo Alto, California.
History
The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 at a price of , because Wozniak liked the repeating digits and because they originally sold it to a local shop for $500 for the one-third markup. About 200 units were produced. Unlike other hobbyist computers of its day, which were sold as kits, the Apple I was a fully assembled circuit board containing about 60+ chips. However, to make a working computer, users still had to add a case, power supply transformers, power switch, ASCII keyboard, and composite video display. An optional board providing a cassette interface for storage was later released at a cost of $75.The Apple I's built-in computer terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
circuitry was distinctive. All one needed was a keyboard
Keyboard (computing)
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
and an inexpensive television set
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
. Competing machines such as the Altair 8800
Altair 8800
The MITS Altair 8800 was a microcomputer design from 1975 based on the Intel 8080 CPU and sold by mail order through advertisements in Popular Electronics, Radio-Electronics and other hobbyist magazines. The designers hoped to sell only a few hundred build-it-yourself kits to hobbyists, and were...
generally were programmed with front-mounted toggle switches and used indicator lights (red LED
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
s, most commonly) for output, and had to be extended with separate hardware to allow connection to a computer terminal or a teletypewriter machine
ASR33
The Teletype Model ASR-33 was a very popular model of teleprinter. Introduced about 1963 by Teletype Corporation and designed for light-duty office use, it was less rugged and less expensive than earlier Teletype machines or its heavy-duty cousin, the Model 35-ASR.The Model 33's printing mechanism...
. This made the Apple I an innovative machine for its day. In April 1977 the price was dropped to $475. It continued to be sold through August 1977, despite the introduction of the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
in April 1977, which began shipping in June of that year. Apple dropped the Apple I from its price list by October 1977, officially discontinuing it. As Wozniak was the only person who could answer most customer support questions about the computer, the company offered Apple I owners discounts and trade-ins for Apple IIs to persuade them to return their computers, contributing to their scarcity. In 1976, Concord High School Junior Wai Lee assembled one of the first 12 Apple 1's (no serial number) the first Apple Computer in an aluminum housing.
As of 2008, an estimated 40 to 50 Apple I computers are still known to exist, making it a very rare collector's item. An Apple I reportedly sold for $50,000 USD at auction in 1999, with another apparently selling in 2009 for $17,500; however, a more typical price for an Apple I is in the $14,000–$16,000 range. In November 2009 the Apple I with serial number 82 was listed on eBay with a starting bid of $50,000 but it is unreported as to whether the computer was sold. However, in November 2010, this same Apple I (with serial number 82) sold for the equivalent of $US178,000 ($US213,600 including the 'buyer's premium') at Christie's auction house in London,, making it by far the highest price paid for this model to date, at ($210,000). The high value of this particular example is likely due to the rare documents and packaging offered in the sale rather than the computer itself; namely (and amongst others) the original packaging (with the return label showing Steve Jobs' parents' address, the original Apple Computer Inc 'headquarters' being their garage), a personally typed and signed letter from Jobs (answering technical questions about the computer) and the original invoice showing 'Steven' as the salesman. The computer was brought to Turin University where it was used to run BASIC.
Emulators, clones, and replicas
A software-compatible clone of the Apple I (Replica 1Replica 1
The Replica 1 is a clone of the Apple I designed by Vince Briel with permission from the Apple I's original creator Steve Wozniak. The Replica 1 is functionally a close copy of the original, but it is designed using much more modern parts on a smaller, simplified board design. The Replica 1 is...
) produced using modern components, was released in 2003 at a price of around $200. Other replicas and do-it-yourself kits and instructions are available.
External links
- Apple I Owners Club
- Apple I Operational Manual
- OpenEmulator, an accurate emulator of the Apple-1, the Cassette Interface and the CFFA1 expansion card
- Apple I project on www.sbprojects.com
- Apple 1 Computer Registry
- Macintosh Prehistory: The Apple I
- LCF Historical Collection – Apple 1 Video
- John Calande III blog – Building the Apple I clone