Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Started Apple in 1976

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, in Los Altos, California. Wozniak designed the first Apple computer — the Apple I — as a single-board machine he built largely by himself. Jobs recognized the commercial potential and pushed to sell it. They started in Jobs's parents' garage with $1,300 in startup capital, mostly from selling Jobs's Volkswagen van and Wozniak's scientific calculator.

The Apple I was a bare circuit board with no case, keyboard, or monitor. Hobbyists and early computer enthusiasts bought it for $666.66. The machine ran on a 1 MHz processor and had 4 kilobytes of memory. It was not a consumer product in the modern sense — buyers had to assemble it themselves and provide their own power supply and display.

A year later, in 1977, Apple released the Apple II, which Wozniak also designed. This machine came in a plastic case, included a keyboard, and could connect to a television or monitor. The Apple II became the first mass-market personal computer and made Apple a real business. By 1980, Apple had grown enough to go public.

Key Takeaways

  • Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, starting in a garage with $1,300.
  • Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I circuit board; Steve Jobs handled business and sales strategy.
  • The Apple I sold for $666.66 and required buyers to add their own case, keyboard, and monitor.
  • The Apple II, released in 1977, was the first personal computer sold as a complete, ready-to-use machine and drove Apple's growth into a major company.

Steve Wozniak's Role as the Technical Designer

Steve Wozniak was the engineer who actually built the computers. He taught himself electronics as a child and worked at Hewlett-Packard designing calculators before founding Apple. Wozniak wrote the machine code for the Apple I and Apple II almost entirely by himself, which was extraordinary for the time. He designed the computers to be simpler and cheaper to manufacture than competitors' machines.

Wozniak's approach was to use fewer chips and simpler circuits than other designers thought possible. This made the machines more affordable and more reliable. He also wrote the BASIC interpreter that let users program the Apple II, and he designed much of the computer's graphics and sound capabilities. Without Wozniak's technical skill, Apple would not have had a product to sell.

Steve Jobs's Role in Building the Business

Steve Jobs handled the business side and marketing. He convinced Wozniak that they should sell the computers rather than just build them as a hobby. Jobs also persuaded Paul Terrell, owner of the Byte Shop computer store in Mountain View, to order 50 Apple I computers — the first real order the company received. This sale gave Apple its first revenue and proved there was a market.

Jobs also brought in Ronald Wayne, who wrote the Apple I manual and designed the original Apple logo. Wayne left the company after 12 days and sold his 10 percent stake back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Jobs and Wozniak each owned 45 percent of the company at that point.

Jobs was also responsible for recruiting early employees and investors. In 1977, he brought in Mike Markkula, an investor and businessman who provided $250,000 in funding and business informed. Markkula became Apple's first chairman and helped turn the company from a garage operation into a real corporation.

How Apple Grew After 1976

Apple Computer Company incorporated as a real business in January 1977, with Jobs as chairman, Wozniak as employee number one, and Markkula as president. The company moved out of the garage and into a real office. By the end of 1977, Apple had sold about 2,500 Apple II computers.

The Apple II became a success in schools and small businesses. VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program, was released for the Apple II in 1979 and made the computer essential for business use. By 1980, when Apple went public, the company had annual revenue of $117 million and had sold over 100,000 computers.

Jobs and Wozniak's partnership did not last forever. Wozniak left Apple in 1985 after a disagreement over the company's direction. Jobs remained as CEO until 1985, when he was forced out by the board. However, the foundation they built in that garage in 1976 became one of the largest technology companies in the world.

The Original Apple Computer Specifications

The Apple I had a 6502 processor running at 1 megahertz, 4 kilobytes of RAM, and no storage. Users had to type programs in by hand or load them from a cassette tape. The computer had a straightforward keyboard and output to a television or monitor through an RF connector. It cost $666.66 when it launched.

The Apple II, released in 1977, was far more capable. It had 4 kilobytes of RAM standard, expandable to 64 kilobytes. It included a keyboard, came in a plastic case, and could display color graphics. It had a cassette port for loading programs and later supported floppy disk drives. The Apple II cost $1,298 for the base model.

Why the Garage Startup Story Matters

The story of Apple starting in a garage became part of the company's identity and influenced how people thought about technology startups. It showed that you did not need a large factory or a huge team to build computers. A skilled engineer and a good business person working in a small space could create something that changed the industry.

This narrative also made Apple seem more human and accessible than larger computer companies like IBM or Digital Equipment Corporation. It helped Apple market itself as the computer for individuals and small businesses rather than just corporations. The garage origin story remains part of how Apple describes itself decades later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Steve Jobs actually build the computers himself?

No. Steve Wozniak designed and built the computers. Steve Jobs handled business, sales, and strategy. Jobs was not an engineer and did not write code or design circuits. His role was recognizing the market opportunity and building the company around Wozniak's technical work.

What happened to Steve Wozniak after he left Apple?

Wozniak left Apple in 1985 but remained a company employee and ambassador for many years. He pursued other interests, including teaching, philanthropy, and various technology projects. He never returned to a leadership role at Apple but remained connected to the company and the technology industry.

How much money did Jobs and Wozniak make from founding Apple?

Both became very wealthy from Apple's success, but the exact amounts depend on when you measure and what you count. When Apple went public in 1980, Jobs and Wozniak each owned a significant stake. Jobs's wealth grew enormously as Apple's stock price rose over decades. Wozniak sold much of his stake earlier and diversified his investments.

Could Apple have succeeded without Steve Jobs?

Possibly, but differently. Wozniak's technical skill was essential — without him there would have been no product. However, Jobs's business sense and marketing ability helped turn the Apple II into a mass-market success rather than a hobbyist machine. The partnership worked because each person brought something the other did not have.

What was Ronald Wayne's role in founding Apple?

Ronald Wayne was the third founder who wrote the Apple I manual, designed the original Apple logo, and handled some early business tasks. He left the company after 12 days because he was uncomfortable with the risk and liability. He sold his 10 percent stake back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800, a decision he later said he regretted.