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1977

Apple II

Apple Computer

Apple II
Photo by Rama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR · source

Specifications

CPU
MOS Technology 6502 @ 1.023 MHz
Memory
4 KB standard, up to 48 KB
Storage
Audio cassette; Disk II 5.25" floppy from 1978 (143 KB)
Display
Color graphics + 40-column text on a TV or composite monitor
OS
Integer BASIC / Applesoft BASIC in ROM; Apple DOS 3.x from 1978
Intro price
$1,298 (4 KB)

The machine

Steve Wozniak's design: a single-board computer with eight expansion slots, color graphics, and a built-in BASIC. Packaged in a beige plastic case with an integrated keyboard. The Apple II line stayed in production until 1993.

Why it matters

The first wildly successful pre-built personal computer for the consumer market. VisiCalc — the first spreadsheet — debuted on it in 1979 and gave the Apple II its second wind by making it the must-have business machine.