Apple I and Apple II

Apple I			Apple II
CPU			CPU
CPU: MOS Technology 6502			CPU: MOS Technology 6502
CPU Speed: 1 MHz			CPU Speed: 1 MHz
FPU: none			FPU: none
Bus Speed: 1 MHz			Bus Speed: 1 MHz
Data Path: 8 bit			Data Path: 8 bit
Onboard RAM: 8 kB			ROM: 12 kB
Maximum RAM: 32 kB			RAM slots: 1st expansion slot can be used
			Expansion Slots: 8 proprietary
Video			Video
VRAM: 1 kB
Max Resolution: 60.05 Hz, 40×24 char			Max Resolution: 6 color at 280×192, 4-bit color at 40×48
			Storage
			Floppy Drive: optional
			Input / Output
			Serial: optional expansion card
			Speaker: mono
Miscellaneous			Miscellaneous
Codename: ?			Floppy Drive: optional
Power: 58 Watts			Codename: ?
Introduced: April 1976			Introduced: 1977
Terminated: 1977			Terminated: 1980

Apple I

The Apple I, also known as the Apple-1, was an early personal computer. 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, demonstrated in April 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California. It went on sale in July 1976 at a price of $666.66, because Wozniak liked repeating digits and because they originally sold it to a local shop for $500 and added a 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 30 chips. However, to make a working computer, users still had to add a case, power supply, keyboard, and display. An optional board providing a cassette interface for storage was later released at a cost of $75.

The Apple I is sometimes credited as the first personal computer to be sold in fully assembled form; however, some argue that the honor rightfully belongs to other machines, such as the MOS Technology KIM-1, Datapoint 2200, or more commonly the Altair 8800 (which could be bought in kit or assembled form at extra cost). One major difference sets the Apple I apart — it was the first personal computer to use a keyboard.

The Apple I’s built-in computer terminal circuitry was distinctive. All one needed was a keyboard and an inexpensive video monitor. Competing machines such as the Altair 8800 generally were programmed with front-mounted toggle switches and used indicator lights (red LEDs, most commonly) for output, and had to be extended with separate hardware to allow connection to a computer terminal or a teletype machine. This made the Apple I an innovative machine for its day. In April 1977 the price was dropped to $475.[5]. 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.[6] The Apple II was otherwise identical to the Apple I, except it added more RAM, color graphics, sound capabilities, additional expansion slots and was notably contained in a styled plastic case with an integrated keyboard. Apple had dropped the Apple 1 from its price list by October 1977, officially discontinuing it.

As of 2008, an estimated 30 to 50 Apple Is are still known to exist, making it a very rare collector’s item. An Apple I reportedly sold for $50,000 at auction in 1999; however, a more typical price for an Apple I is in the $14,000–$16,000 range. A software-compatible clone of the Apple I (Replica 1) produced using modern components, was released in 2003 at a price of around $200.

Source:
Apple I. (2008, September 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:50, October 12, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apple_I&oldid=241506300

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Category: Computer History