The Three Founders and Their Roles
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, in Los Altos, California. Jobs and Wozniak are the names most people remember, but all three signed the partnership agreement that created the company.
Wozniak designed the Apple I computer—the actual circuit board and engineering. Jobs handled business strategy, marketing, and finding people to build the machines. Wayne, who was older and had manufacturing experience, wrote the partnership agreement and handled early administrative work. He left the company after 12 days and sold his share back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800.
The three met through Silicon Valley's hobbyist electronics scene. Wozniak and Jobs knew each other from high school. Wayne knew Wozniak through the Homebrew Computer Club, an informal group in the San Francisco Bay Area where people shared designs and built computers in garages and basements.
Key Takeaways
- Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I computer's circuit board and engineering in 1976.
- Steve Jobs handled business decisions, marketing, and manufacturing strategy from the start.
- Ronald Wayne wrote the legal partnership agreement but left after 12 days and sold his ownership stake.
- The company began in Jobs's parents' garage in Los Altos, California, on April 1, 1976.
- Wozniak and Jobs had known each other since high school and met Wayne through the Homebrew Computer Club.
Steve Wozniak's Engineering Work
Wozniak built the Apple I computer almost entirely by himself in 1975 and early 1976. He designed a single-board computer that was simpler and cheaper to build than other personal computers at the time. The Apple I used a MOS Technology 6502 processor and could connect to a television set and a cassette recorder for storage.
Wozniak had no formal training in computer engineering. He taught himself by reading technical manuals and experimenting with electronics since childhood. His design was elegant—it did more with fewer parts than competitors' machines, which made it faster to build and less expensive to manufacture.
After Apple became successful, Wozniak continued designing computers. He created the Apple II in 1977, which became the company's first major commercial success and one of the first personal computers sold in large numbers to homes and small businesses.
Steve Jobs's Business and Marketing Strategy
Jobs saw that Wozniak's computer could be sold as a finished product, not just as a kit for hobbyists to assemble. He convinced Wozniak that they should start a company and manufacture the machines. Jobs also persuaded Paul Terrell, owner of the Byte Shop computer store in Mountain View, to order 50 Apple I computers—the company's first significant sale.
Jobs handled the company's direction, hired early employees, and made decisions about which products to build next. He was known for pushing the company toward design and user experience, not just raw technical power. This approach shaped Apple's identity for decades.
Jobs also secured the company's first major investor, Arthur Levenson, who provided funding that allowed Apple to move out of the garage and into a real office. Without Jobs's business sense and persuasion, Wozniak's brilliant engineering might have remained a hobby project.
Ronald Wayne's Early Legal Role
Wayne was 41 years old when he joined Jobs and Wozniak. He had worked in manufacturing and understood how to set up a business legally and operationally. He wrote the partnership agreement that created Apple Computer Company and handled paperwork and administrative tasks in those first days.
Wayne drew the original Apple logo—a detailed illustration of Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo appeared on early Apple I computers and marketing materials, though it was replaced with the simpler, bitten-apple design in 1977.
Wayne's departure after 12 days is often described as a missed opportunity, since his 10 percent stake would have been worth billions by the 1980s. He has said in interviews that he was uncomfortable with the risk and the younger founders' ambitions, and he wanted to pursue other projects.
The Garage Workshop and Early Manufacturing
Apple Computer Company began in the garage of Jobs's parents' house at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos. The garage was small, and the founders worked there building the first Apple I computers by hand. They soldered circuit boards, assembled cases, and tested machines in that single room.
The first Apple I computers were sold as bare circuit boards—customers had to provide their own case, power supply, and keyboard. The price was $666.66. Byte Shop owner Paul Terrell's order for 50 machines gave the company its first real revenue and proved there was a market for personal computers.
By late 1976, Apple had outgrown the garage. Jobs and Wozniak moved the company to a small office space and began hiring employees to help with manufacturing and assembly. This transition from hobby project to actual business happened within months of the company's founding.
How Apple Grew After 1976
The Apple II, released in 1977, was the breakthrough product. It came in a plastic case, included a power supply and keyboard, and could display color graphics. It was the first personal computer that looked and felt like a finished consumer product rather than a kit for enthusiasts.
The Apple II became wildly successful in schools and small businesses. By 1980, Apple had grown from a garage operation to a company with hundreds of employees and millions in revenue. The company went public in December 1980, making Jobs and Wozniak wealthy.
Wozniak left Apple in 1985 to pursue other interests, though he remained an employee and ambassador for the company. Jobs remained CEO and continued to shape Apple's direction until 1985, when he left to start NeXT Computer. He returned to Apple in 1997 and led the company until his death in 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Ronald Wayne after he left Apple?
Wayne left the company after 12 days and sold his 10 percent stake back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. He went on to work in other technology and manufacturing roles. In later years, he has given interviews about his early involvement with Apple and has said he regrets leaving, though he has also acknowledged the risk he avoided by not staying.
Did Steve Jobs actually invent the computer?
No. Jobs did not design the Apple I or Apple II computers. Wozniak designed both. Jobs's role was business strategy, manufacturing decisions, and marketing. Both founders were essential—Wozniak's engineering and Jobs's business sense together created Apple's success.
Why is the Apple logo a bitten apple?
The original logo, drawn by Ronald Wayne, showed Isaac Newton under an apple tree. Designer Rob Janoff created the simpler bitten-apple logo in 1977. The bite mark has no official meaning—Janoff has said it was straightforward a design choice to make the apple recognizable at small sizes on early computer screens.
How much did the first Apple I computer cost?
The Apple I circuit board sold for $666.66. This was the bare board only—customers had to add their own case, power supply, and keyboard. The Apple II, released in 1977, cost $1,298 and came as a complete, ready-to-use computer.