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The Evolution Of Apple - January 1976 To May 1995

The Evolution of Apple - January 1976 to May 1995

Let's take a trip back in time and review the evolution of a computer company.

It's not IBM or Microsoft. This company is Apple Computers, Incorporated.

In the year 1976, before most people even thought about buying a computer for

their homes. Back then the computer community added up to a few brainy

hobbyist. So when Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs sold a van and two programmable

calculators for thirteen hundred dollars and started Apple Computers, Inc., in

Jobs garage, the reach for success seemed far.

But these two young business men, Wozniak 26 years old and Jobs 21 years old,

had a vision. "Computers aren't for nerds anymore," they announced. "Computers

are going to be the bicycle of the mind. Low cost computers for everyone."

From the first day on the founders of Apple kept their vision intact, and they

spoke it at every turn. They only hired people into the company that had the

same visions as they did.

In early 1976 Wozniak and Jobs finish work on a preassembled computer circuit

board. It has no Product keyboard, case, sound or graphics. They call it the

Apple I. They form the Apple Computer Company on April Fool's Day and sold the

Apple I board for $666.66 at the Home brew Computer Club in Palo Alto,

California.

In 1977 the Apple II is available to the general public. Fully assembled and

pretested, it includes 4K of standard memory, and comes equipped with two game

paddles and a demo cassette. The price is $1,298. Customers use their own TV

set as a monitor and store programs on audio cassette recorders. Compare this

price with computers today. The price about the same, but the computer has

changed tremendously.

In 1979 Apple II+ is introduced, available with 48K of memory and a new

auto-start ROM for easier startup and screen editing for $1,195. Apple II

Pascal is also released.

In 1980 Apple FORTRAN introduced and proves...