Apple Computer was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne

The three men started the company in Steve Jobs's parents' garage in Los Altos, California. Steve Wozniak had designed the Apple I computer, a single-board machine that was revolutionary for its time because it came fully assembled—most computers then were sold as kits that buyers had to build themselves. Jobs recognized the commercial potential and convinced Wozniak to start a business around it. Ronald Wayne, who worked in electronics, handled the business paperwork and wrote the company's first manual, though he left the partnership after just 12 days.

The Apple I sold for $666.66 (a price Wozniak set somewhat arbitrarily). The company's first sale was to a local computer store called The Byte Shop, which ordered 50 units. This early success showed that there was a market for personal computers, even though most people had never heard of such a thing.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Computer was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in a garage in Los Altos, California.
  • Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I, a fully assembled computer that did not require buyers to build it from a kit.
  • The Apple I sold for $666.66, and the company's first major order came from a local computer retailer called The Byte Shop.
  • Ronald Wayne left the partnership after 12 days, leaving Jobs and Wozniak to run the company.
  • The founding of Apple marked the beginning of the personal computer industry, which transformed computing from a specialized field into something ordinary people could own and use.

How the Apple I computer worked

The Apple I was not like computers today. It had no monitor, no keyboard, and no case—it was a bare circuit board. Users had to connect it to their own television set to see anything, and they typed commands using a separate keyboard they had to build or buy elsewhere. The machine had 4 kilobytes of memory, which is roughly one-millionth of what a modern smartphone has.

Despite these limitations, the Apple I was a breakthrough because Wozniak had designed it to be straightforward and elegant. He used fewer chips than other computers of the era, which made it cheaper to build and more reliable. The design showed that personal computers did not have to be complicated or expensive—a philosophy that would shape Apple's products for decades.

The Apple II and the shift toward mainstream computing

In 1977, just a year after the Apple I launched, Apple released the Apple II. This machine was fundamentally different: it came in a plastic case, had a built-in keyboard, and could connect to a color monitor. It also had a slot where users could insert expansion cards to add features like a floppy disk drive or a printer connection. The Apple II was the first personal computer designed to look and feel like a finished product rather than a hobbyist's project.

The Apple II became the first mass-market personal computer. Schools began buying them, businesses started using them for accounting and word processing, and families brought them home. By the early 1980s, the Apple II line was generating most of Apple's revenue and had established the company as a serious player in computing.

Why April 1, 1976 matters in computing history

The founding of Apple on April 1, 1976, marked a turning point in how computers were made and sold. Before Apple, computers were sold primarily to businesses, universities, and government agencies. They were expensive, required specialized training to operate, and took up entire rooms. The idea that an ordinary person might want a computer in their home or small office seemed far-fetched.

Apple's early machines proved that personal computers could be practical, affordable, and appealing to non-specialists. This opened the door for other companies—Commodore, Radio Shack, and later IBM—to enter the personal computer market. Within a decade, personal computers had become common enough that people began to see them as tools for everyday work and creativity, not just scientific instruments.

The early years and the move to a real office

The garage operation did not last long. By 1977, Apple had moved to a small office in Los Altos and then to Cupertino, California, where the company would remain headquartered for the rest of its history. Jobs and Wozniak hired their first employees and began to build a real company structure, though the culture of innovation and design that started in the garage remained central to how Apple operated.

In 1978, Apple Computer was formally incorporated as a corporation. The company had grown from a two-person operation to a team of dozens, and it was becoming clear that personal computers were not a passing fad but the future of the industry. By the early 1980s, Apple was one of the most valuable companies in the United States, a remarkable achievement for a business that had started less than a decade earlier.

How Apple's founding shaped the company's later direction

The values that Jobs and Wozniak brought to Apple in 1976 remained visible in the company's products decades later. Wozniak's belief that computers should be straightforward and elegant influenced the design philosophy behind later machines like the Macintosh and the iMac. Jobs's focus on making technology accessible to ordinary people shaped how Apple marketed its products and thought about user experience.

The garage origin story also became part of Apple's identity. Jobs and Wozniak were not trained engineers or business school graduates—they were young people who saw an opportunity and acted on it. This narrative of scrappy innovation in a garage became a template that other technology companies would try to replicate, and it remains part of how Apple tells its own history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Ronald Wayne leave Apple after 12 days?

Wayne was concerned about the financial risk and the legal liability of a partnership. He was also older than Jobs and Wozniak and had different priorities. He sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800, a decision he later described as one of his biggest regrets—his original stake would have been worth billions by the 1990s.

How much did the Apple I cost to build?

The parts for an Apple I cost roughly $25 to $40 to manufacture. Apple sold the circuit board for $666.66, which meant a significant profit margin. This pricing strategy—high markup on relatively inexpensive components—became standard in the personal computer industry.

Did Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak know each other before starting Apple?

Yes. Wozniak and Jobs met in high school through a mutual friend. Wozniak was already interested in electronics, and Jobs was drawn to technology and design. They stayed in touch after high school, and when Wozniak finished designing the Apple I, Jobs saw the business opportunity and convinced him to start a company.

What happened to the original Apple Computer Company garage?

The garage at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, where Apple was founded, still stands. It is now a private residence, though it has become a landmark for technology enthusiasts and historians interested in the origins of Silicon Valley.