Apple Computer Company Started in 1976
Apple Computer Company was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Los Altos, California. The three partners started the business in Jobs's parents' garage with the goal of selling the Apple I, a personal computer that Wozniak had designed. This was not the first personal computer ever made, but it was one of the earliest machines sold as a complete, ready-to-use system for individual buyers rather than hobbyists or large institutions.
The Apple I sold for $666.66 when it first became available in July 1976. A local computer store called The Byte Shop ordered 50 units, which gave the company its first significant sale. By the end of 1976, Apple had sold around 200 Apple I computers, a modest but meaningful start for a garage operation.
Key Takeaways
- Apple Computer Company was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in a garage in Los Altos, California.
- The Apple I computer, designed by Wozniak, was one of the first personal computers sold as a complete, ready-to-use product to individual customers.
- The Apple II, released in 1977, was the machine that made Apple a household name and established the company as a serious computer manufacturer.
- Apple went public in December 1980, which gave the company the funding and visibility it needed to compete with larger technology companies.
The Apple II Changed Personal Computing in 1977
While the Apple I was a working computer, the Apple II—released in April 1977—was the machine that transformed Apple from a garage startup into a real business. The Apple II came in a plastic case, had a keyboard built in, and could display color graphics on a television screen. These features made it far more appealing to regular people than earlier computers, which often required assembly and looked like bare circuit boards.
The Apple II also had an open architecture, meaning other companies could design and sell add-on cards and peripherals that worked with it. This openness encouraged software developers to write programs for the machine. Within a few years, the Apple II had thousands of programs available, from games to business software like VisiCalc, one of the first spreadsheet programs. By 1980, the Apple II was the best-selling personal computer in the world.
Who Designed the First Apple Computers
Steve Wozniak was the engineer who designed both the Apple I and Apple II computers. Wozniak had taught himself electronics as a child and was working at Hewlett-Packard when he designed the Apple I in his spare time. He built the first prototype on a breadboard—a temporary circuit board used for testing—and showed it to his friend Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs recognized the commercial potential of Wozniak's design and convinced him to start a company. Jobs handled business decisions, marketing, and design direction, while Wozniak focused on the engineering. Ronald Wayne, the third co-founder, handled documentation and administrative work but left the company after 12 days and sold his share back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Jobs and Wozniak remained the public faces of Apple for the next several years.
Why 1976 Mattered for Personal Computing
The year 1976 was significant because it marked the moment when personal computers began to shift from hobbyist projects to commercial products. Before Apple, computers were either massive machines that filled entire rooms and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or they were kits that required technical knowledge to assemble. The Apple I was the first computer that a regular person could buy fully assembled and ready to use.
Other companies were working on personal computers at the same time. Commodore, Radio Shack, and others released their own machines in 1977 and 1978. However, Apple's focus on user-friendly design and its willingness to let other companies build software and hardware for its machines gave it an advantage. By the early 1980s, Apple had become one of the three dominant personal computer makers, along with Commodore and IBM.
Apple's Path to Going Public in 1980
Apple Computer went public on December 12, 1980, offering shares to the general public for the first time. The company had grown rapidly in its first four years—by 1980, Apple was generating millions of dollars in revenue and had hundreds of employees. Going public meant the company could raise money by selling stock, which it used to fund research, manufacturing, and marketing.
The 1980 initial public offering made Jobs and Wozniak wealthy and gave Apple the resources to compete directly with larger, established computer companies. It also marked the moment when Apple transitioned from a startup to an established corporation. By this point, Wozniak had stepped back from day-to-day engineering, and Jobs was focusing on product vision and strategy.
What Came Before Apple in Personal Computing
Apple was not the first company to build a personal computer. The Altair 8800, released in 1975 by MITS, is often called the first personal computer. However, the Altair was a kit that buyers had to assemble themselves, and it had no keyboard or monitor—users entered data by flipping switches on the front panel. It was a machine for electronics hobbyists, not for ordinary people.
The Commodore PET and the Radio Shack TRS-80 both came out in 1977, the same year as the Apple II. All three machines competed for the same market of early personal computer buyers. The Apple II's superior graphics, open architecture, and strong software library gave it an edge, but the competition was real and intense from the beginning.
The First Decade: From 1976 to 1986
In the ten years after its founding, Apple released several new computer models. The Apple III came out in 1980 but was plagued with technical problems and never sold well. The Lisa, released in 1983, introduced the graphical user interface—the windows, icons, and mouse-based system that became standard on personal computers. The Lisa was expensive and did not sell in large numbers, but it proved that the graphical interface was the future of computing.
The Macintosh, released in January 1984, brought the graphical interface to a more affordable price point. The original Macintosh cost $2,495, which was expensive but far less than the Lisa's $9,995 price tag. The Macintosh became Apple's flagship product and established the company as an innovator in personal computing design. By 1986, Apple was one of the largest computer companies in the world, with annual revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Steve Jobs invent the computer?
Steve Jobs did not invent the computer itself. Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I and Apple II computers. Jobs was the co-founder and business leader who recognized the potential of Wozniak's designs and made decisions about how to market and sell them. Jobs focused on product vision and user experience rather than engineering.
What was the first computer Apple made?
The Apple I, released in July 1976, was the first computer Apple made. It was designed by Steve Wozniak and sold for $666.66. The Apple II, released in April 1977, was the machine that made Apple successful and became the company's main product for many years.
How much did the first Apple computer cost?
The Apple I cost $666.66 when it was first sold in 1976. The Apple II, released in 1977, cost $1,298. Both prices were expensive for the time—the average household income in the United States in 1976 was around $15,000 per year—so these computers were luxury items for early adopters and businesses.
Was Apple the first personal computer company?
No, Apple was not the first. The Altair 8800, released in 1975, is often called the first personal computer. However, the Altair was a kit for hobbyists. Apple was among the first to sell a complete, ready-to-use personal computer to regular people, which is why it became so influential in the history of computing.
When did Apple stop making the Apple II?
Apple continued to sell and update the Apple II line for many years. The last Apple II model was discontinued in 1993, which means the Apple II remained in production for 16 years. This made it one of the longest-lived personal computer lines in history and a testament to the strength of Wozniak's original design.