 | Introduced: April 1976 Terminated: 1977 |
Logic Board
Processor: 6502
Processor Speed: 1 MHz
PMMU: none
FPU: none
Bus Speed: 1 MHz
Data Path: 8-bit
Memory
Min – Max RAM: 4K – 32K
Onboard RAM: 4K – 32K
Video
Standard Video Memory: 1K
Display Resolution: 60.05 Hz, 40 x 24 char
Storage
External: Audio Cassette Tape (requires Audito Cassette Interface)
Internal: Not Applicable
Operating System
Primary OS: Integer BASIC
Miscellaneous
Original Price:
- Apple I with 4K RAM, Audio Cassette Interface, BASIC Cassette Tape: $741.66 US
- Apple I with 8K RAM, Audio Cassette Interface, BASIC Cassette Tape: $861.66 US
Comments
The Apple I (also known as the “Apple 1”) was designed by a genius named Stephen Gary “Woz” Wozniak. It was designed over a period of years from parts Woz had free access to at his job as a Hewlett Packard engineer. HP encouraged its engineers to use company stock and lab facilities to experiment with new and interesting technology. Woz took full advantage of this privilege and when he got his hands on a MOStek 6502 had all the parts he needed to build the Apple I. It debuted in April 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto. Woz had a unique, powerful home computer and worked at his dream job for a great company. He was happy and had no other plans for his incredible device. However, Steve Jobs saw his friend’s device as an amazing way to change the world and he set out to sell it at local computer hobbyist stores. Jobs secured a deal with Byte Shop, a small computer store in Mountain View, California, to sell fifty Apple computer kits for $500 each. Jobs sold his VW van and Woz sold his prized HP calculator to raise money to manufacture the printed boards and the rest is history.
The Apple I kit included only the motherboard. You had to supply your own power supply, keyboard, monitor (or TV), and case. It was a true hobbyist computer, but at the time, it represented the most innovative and powerful home computer of its kind. It sold for the odd price of $666.66. Woz and Jobs had no idea that this price might have religious implications for some buyers.