Apple Computer Company released its first machine in 1976

The first Apple computer, called the Apple I, shipped in 1976. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the first unit by hand in Jobs's parents' garage in Los Altos, California, and the pair founded Apple Computer Company in April of that year. The Apple I sold for $666.66 — a price Wozniak set by adding a third to his cost estimate, not for any symbolic reason.

The machine was not a finished product in the way computers are sold today. It arrived as a circuit board with no case, no keyboard, and no monitor. A buyer had to supply their own power supply, add a keyboard, and connect it to a television or separate display. The Apple I had 4 kilobytes of memory and ran at 1 megahertz — specifications that mean almost nothing to modern readers, but at the time placed it among the first computers a hobbyist could actually afford to own.

About 200 Apple I units sold before the company moved on to the Apple II in 1977. The Apple II was the machine that actually built Apple's reputation: it came in a plastic case, included a keyboard, and had color graphics. But the Apple I was the first, and it established the pattern that would define Apple for decades — a computer built for people who wanted to use one, not people who wanted to build one.

Key Takeaways

  • The Apple I was completed and first sold in 1976, designed and built by Steve Wozniak with Steve Jobs handling business and sales.
  • The machine cost $666.66 and shipped as a bare circuit board without a case, keyboard, or display — the buyer had to assemble the rest.
  • Only about 200 Apple I computers sold before Apple released the Apple II in 1977, which became the company's first major commercial success.
  • The Apple I had 4 kilobytes of memory and ran at 1 megahertz, making it one of the first affordable computers for hobbyists and small businesses.

Why the Apple I mattered even though almost nobody bought one

The Apple I proved that a computer could be small and cheap enough for someone outside a corporation or university to own. Before 1976, computers were room-sized machines that cost tens of thousands of dollars. The Altair 8800, released in 1975, was the first personal computer kit, but it required serious electronics knowledge to assemble and use. Wozniak designed the Apple I to be simpler — a single circuit board that could plug into a television and a power outlet.

The machine found buyers among hobbyists and small electronics shops, but it was never meant to be a mass-market product. The real breakthrough came with the Apple II, which added features that made computers useful to people who were not engineers: color graphics, a keyboard built in, and a plastic case that looked intentional rather than improvised. The Apple II launched in 1977 and became the first personal computer to sell in the millions.

What made Wozniak's design different from other early computers

Wozniak was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard when he designed the Apple I in his spare time. He used fewer chips than other computers of the era — a deliberate choice to reduce cost and complexity. Most computers at the time required separate circuit boards for different functions; Wozniak integrated more onto a single board. He also wrote the machine's BASIC interpreter from scratch, which meant buyers could start programming when ready without buying additional software.

The Apple I connected to a television instead of requiring a dedicated monitor, which saved money for the buyer. It used a standard power supply instead of a custom one. These choices were not accidents — Wozniak was designing for affordability and simplicity from the start. When Jobs saw the finished machine, he recognized its potential and convinced Wozniak to start a company. Wozniak initially wanted to give the design away for free; Jobs argued they should sell it.

How the Apple II changed what came next

The Apple II, released in April 1977, was the machine that actually built Apple into a company. It came in a beige plastic case designed by Jerry Manock, included a keyboard, and had color graphics — features the Apple I lacked. The Apple II also had more memory and could run more sophisticated programs. Within a year, the spreadsheet program VisiCalc became available for the Apple II, and suddenly the machine had a business purpose beyond hobbyist tinkering.

The Apple II stayed in production for 16 years, longer than almost any other computer in history. It became the standard machine for schools, small businesses, and home users throughout the 1980s. The Apple I was the proof of concept; the Apple II was the product that changed computing.

The price and what it meant in 1976

At $666.66, the Apple I cost roughly what a used car cost in 1976. For comparison, an IBM personal computer, released five years later in 1981, started at $1,565. The Apple I was expensive by the standards of most households, but it was cheap enough that a serious hobbyist or a small shop could justify the purchase. The price also reflected the reality that buyers had to add their own keyboard, power supply, and display — the total cost of ownership was higher than the bare board price.

Wozniak's engineering choices directly enabled that price. By using fewer chips and a simpler design, he reduced manufacturing cost. By writing the BASIC interpreter himself, Apple avoided licensing fees. By using a standard power supply and connecting to a television, the machine did not require custom parts. Every design decision had a cost consequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Steve Jobs actually build the first Apple computer?

No. Steve Wozniak designed and built the Apple I; Jobs handled the business side and convinced Wozniak to start a company to sell it. Wozniak did the engineering work in his spare time while employed at Hewlett-Packard. Jobs had no engineering background and did not design the machine.

Could you actually use an Apple I computer without buying anything else?

No. The Apple I shipped as a circuit board only. You had to buy or build a power supply, add a keyboard, and connect it to a television or monitor. The $666.66 price covered only the circuit board itself. Total cost of ownership was significantly higher once you added these components.

How much faster was the Apple II than the Apple I?

The Apple II ran at the same speed as the Apple I — both operated at 1 megahertz. The real difference was memory and graphics. The Apple II came with more RAM and could display color graphics, while the Apple I was limited to text. The speed increase came later with the Apple IIe and IIc models.

Why did the Apple I fail if it was so innovative?

The Apple I did not fail — it succeeded at what it was designed to do, which was prove the concept worked. About 200 units sold, which was enough to fund the company and prove there was a market. The Apple II was always the planned next step, designed to be a finished product that ordinary people could use without electronics knowledge.