The Apple-1: The Computer That Started a Revolution

In 1976, a small startup in Cupertino, California introduced a product that would change the world of computing forever. The Apple-1, priced at $666.66, was Apple Computer Company's first product and represented a significant leap forward in making computers accessible to everyday people.

The Apple-1 was revolutionary for its time because it integrated multiple components onto a single printed circuit board. Unlike other computers of the era that required extensive assembly and configuration, the Apple-1 came fully assembled and tested. This "hassle-free" approach meant users could be up and running within minutes of unboxing the device.

At the heart of the Apple-1 was the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, a powerful chip that offered excellent performance for its time. The system included 8K bytes of RAM memory, expandable to 65K bytes through an edge connector that carried address and data busses, power supplies, and timing signals. The dynamic memory refreshing was handled automatically, making the system more reliable and user-friendly.

One of the most innovative features of the Apple-1 was its built-in video terminal. This eliminated the need for expensive teletypes, which were noisy, required maintenance, and were significantly slower. The Apple-1's video display could show 960 easy-to-read characters in 24 rows of 40 characters per line with automatic scrolling. The video display section had its own 1K bytes of memory, ensuring all the RAM was available for user programs.

The keyboard interface was equally impressive, allowing users to connect almost any ASCII-encoded keyboard. This flexibility meant users weren't locked into proprietary input devices and could choose what worked best for their needs.

For programming and debugging, the Apple-1 included firmware in PROMs that enabled users to enter, display, and debug programs directly from the keyboard in hexadecimal format. This eliminated the need for a front panel with switches and lights, which were common on other computers of the era. The firmware also allowed programs to print characters on the display, opening up possibilities for alphanumeric software, games, and eventually BASIC programming.

Storage was handled through an innovative cassette interface that worked reliably with almost any audio-grade cassette recorder. Unlike other cassette interfaces that required expensive tape recorders, Apple's solution was both affordable and dependable. The interface was fast, capable of reading or writing 4K bytes in about 20 seconds, and used software-based timing for crystal-controlled accuracy.

The Apple-1 came with Apple BASIC included on tape at no additional cost. This high-level programming language made the computer accessible to a wider audience and enabled immediate programming without the need to learn assembly language. Additional software packages, including a disassembler and various games, were available, with more in development.

Priced at $666.66 (including 4K bytes of RAM), the Apple-1 was positioned as a low-cost microcomputer system. This pricing strategy, combined with its innovative features and ease of use, made it accessible to hobbyists, students, and small businesses who previously couldn't afford computer technology.

The Apple-1 was available at major computer stores, and the company actively sought dealer partnerships. For those whose local stores didn't carry Apple products, direct ordering was available through the company's Palo Alto address.

While only about 200 Apple-1 computers were produced, and far fewer still exist today, its impact on the computing industry cannot be overstated. It represented Steve Wozniak's engineering brilliance and Steve Jobs' vision for making technology accessible to everyone. The Apple-1 laid the foundation for Apple's future success and helped establish the personal computer industry as we know it today.

The Apple-1's legacy lives on not just in the company it helped create, but in the fundamental design principles it established: integration, ease of use, and accessibility. These principles continue to guide Apple's product development to this day, making the Apple-1 not just a historical artifact, but a foundational document in the history of personal computing.

Today, original Apple-1 computers are highly prized by collectors and museums, with some selling at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But more importantly, the Apple-1's influence can be seen in every personal computer, smartphone, and tablet that followed, making it one of the most important technological innovations of the 20th century.