website/content/museum/apple-1.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
APPLE 1	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1976	MOS Technology 6502	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos emulators links docs oc_id source APPLE 1 /media/museum/photos/apple_1.jpg /companies/apple Apple label value NAME APPLE 1 label value MANUFACTURER Apple label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR April 1976 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1977 label value KEYBOARD No keyboard (sold separately) label value CPU MOS Technology 6502 label value SPEED 1 MHz label value RAM 8 KB label value VRAM 1 KB label value ROM 256 bytes label value TEXT MODES 40 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS None label value SOUND None label value I/O PORTS Monitor, Expansion connector, Keyboard connector, Cassette board connector label value POWER SUPPLY PSU built-in label value PRICE $666.66 (USA, 1976) photos emulators links docs 83 title subtitle text image MOTHER BOARD /media/museum/photos/apple_apple-1_mobo.jpg title url platform text MESS (Multiple Emulator Super System) http://www.mess.org/ Windows Also emulates the Apple 1! title url text WWW.APPLE1REGISTRY.COM http://WWW.APPLE1REGISTRY.COM A list of all known Apple-1 computers and much more title url text Apple-History.com http://www.apple-history.com/ This wonderful site has a page about the Apple 1 title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com All about Apple II user groups title url cover text OPERATION MANUAL http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp /media/museum/docs/couvs/apple_apple1_operation-manual.jpg [**OPERATION MANUAL**](http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp)written by Apple  type of document : PDF\  size : 1.7 MB\  source : [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** title url cover text APPLE BASIC USERS MANUAL http://www.chez.com/apple1/Apple1project/ /media/museum/docs/couvs/apple_apple1_basic-users-manual.jpg [**APPLE BASIC USERS MANUAL**](http://www.chez.com/apple1/Apple1project/)written by Apple  compiled/archived by Apple 1 project\  type of document : PDF\  source : [http://www.chez.com/apple1](http://www.chez.com/apple1) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** 67 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230427093615/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=67 2023-04-27

The story of the development of the Apple 1 has became a "legend". Here's how it goes:

Steve Wozniak, was working for Hewlett-Packard at the time, wanted to build his own computer. He couldn't afford the Intel 8080 CPU (this CPU was very popular then, as it was used in the Altair 8800 & IMSAI 8080, but was pretty expensive). He would have used the Motorola 6800 but it was also much too expensive. Finally he decided to build his computer around the MOS 6502 (which was pretty compatible with the Motorola 6800).

The computer was easier to use than the Altair: notably, the Apple 1 had a keyboard connector and could display characters on a TV whereas the Altair used LEDs for display. The display rate was very slow, only 60 characters (!) per second.

Steve Jobs, who programmed the game "Breakout" for Atari (with a little help from "the Woz"), was interested in this computer. Together they created the Apple Computer Company and tried to sell their computer. Paul Terrell, the owner of a computer shop, was interested in this computer, but fully assembled (the Apple 1 was sold "naked", no monitor, no power supply, no keyboard, no tape drive, etc.) and with a cassette interface, which Wozniak designed. He sold it with the Basic he wrote soon after.

They sold about two hundred of these units. This machine was so popular that Jack Tramiel of Commodore (!) offered to buy Apple. Apple was, at the time, a major purchaser of MOS 6502 processors and Commodore owned MOS Technologies. Wozniak wanted $15,000 more than Tramiel offered. Needless to say, the deal fell through.

The nowadays mythic Apple 1 was followed the next year by the Apple ][.