Apple Makes History with First Commercially Available Microprocessor

Apple Makes History with First Commercially Available Microprocessor

Cupertino, California – April 17, 1975 – Apple Computer has unveiled the Apple I, the first commercially available microprocessor-based personal computer.

The Apple I is the brainchild of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, two young engineers who met at the Homebrew Computer Club in Menlo Park, California. Inspired by the Altair 8800, a popular kit computer of the time, Jobs and Wozniak set out to create a more user-friendly and affordable personal computer.

The Apple I is housed in a simple wooden case and features a 1 MHz 6502 microprocessor, 4 kilobytes of RAM, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. It lacks a keyboard, monitor, or storage device, but it can be connected to a teletypewriter or other peripherals.

Despite its simplicity, the Apple I was revolutionary for its time. It was the first personal computer to be sold fully assembled and tested, and it was one of the first to feature a built-in BASIC interpreter, making it easy for users to write their own programs.

The Apple I was an instant hit, and Jobs and Wozniak were soon flooded with orders. They quickly realized that they had underestimated the demand for their product, and they scrambled to increase production.

Within a year, Apple had sold over 10,000 Apple I computers. The success of the Apple I laid the foundation for Apple Computer’s future success, and it helped to usher in the era of personal computing.

Significance

The Apple I is significant for several reasons:

It was the first commercially available microprocessor-based personal computer.
It was one of the first personal computers to be sold fully assembled and tested.
It was one of the first personal computers to feature a built-in BASIC interpreter.
It was the first product to be sold by Apple Computer.
It helped to usher in the era of personal computing.