Apple I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The original Apple Computer, also known retroactively as the Apple I, or Apple-1, is a personal computer released by the Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in 1976. They were designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak.[1][2] Wozniak's friend Steve Jobs had the idea of selling the computer. The Apple I was Apple's first product, and to finance its creation, Jobs sold his only means of transportation, a VW Microbus,[3] and Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator for $500.[4] It was demonstrated in July 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California.[5]

Apple I (Apple-1)

Contents
1 History 2 Collector's item 3 Serial Numbers 4 Clones and replicas 5 Emulation 6 References 7 External links

A fully assembled Apple I computer, with a homemade wooden computer case. Developer Type Steve Wozniak Personal computer

Release date April 11, 1976 Introductory US$500.00 price Discontinued September 30, 1977 CPU Memory MOS 6502 @ 1 MHz 4 KB standard expandable to 8 KB or 48 KB using expansion cards 4024 characters, hardwareimplemented scrolling

History
Graphics

On March 5, 1975 Steve Apple II Successor Wozniak attended the first meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club in Gordon French's garage. He was so inspired by that meeting that he immediately set to work on what would become the Apple I computer.[6] The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 at a price of US$666.66,[7] because Wozniak "liked repeating digits" and because they originally sold it to a local shop for $500 plus a one-third markup.[8] About 200 units were produced. Unlike other hobbyist computers of its day, which were sold as kits, the Apple I was a fully assembled circuit board containing about 60+ chips. However, to make a working computer, users still had to add a case, power supply transformers, power switch, ASCII keyboard, and composite video display. An optional board providing a cassette interface for storage was later released at the cost of $72.

Introductory advertisement for the Apple I Computer

The Apple I's built-in computer terminal circuitry was distinctive. All one needed was a keyboard and an inexpensive television set. Competing machines such as the Altair 8800 generally were programmed with frontmounted toggle switches and used indicator lights (red LEDs, most commonly) for output, and had to be extended with separate hardware to allow connection to a computer terminal or a teletypewriter machine. This made the Apple I an innovative machine for its day. In April 1977 the price was dropped to $475.[9] It continued to be sold through August 1977, despite the introduction of the Apple II in April 1977, which began shipping in June of that year.[10] Apple dropped the Apple I from its price list by October 1977, officially discontinuing it.[11] As Wozniak was the only person who could answer most customer support questions about the computer, the company offered Apple I owners discounts and trade-ins for Apple IIs to persuade them to return their computers[12] These recovered boards were then destroyed by Apple, contributing to their rarity today.[13]

Collector's item
As of 2013, at least 61 Apple I computers are documented to exist (plus an indefinite number of possible unreported cases). Only six have been verified to be in working condition. An Apple I sold for $671,000 USD at auction in November 2012. Two years before that, an Apple I went for auction for $212,000 USD An Apple I reportedly sold for $50,000 USD at auction in 1999.[14] The circuit board of a fully assembled [15] Apple I A unit was sold in September 2009 for $17,480 on eBay. A unit belonging to early Apple Computer engineers Dick and Cliff Huston was sold on March 23, 2010 for $42,766 on eBay.[16] In November 2010, an Apple I sold for 133,250 ($210,000) at Christie's auction house in London. The high price was likely due to the rare documents and packaging offered in the sale in addition to the computer, including the original packaging (with the return label showing Steve Jobs' parents' address, the original Apple Computer Inc 'headquarters' being their garage), a personally typed and signed letter from Jobs (answering technical questions about the computer), and the original invoice showing 'Steven' as the salesman. The computer was brought to Polytechnic University of Turin where it was fixed and used to run the BASIC programming language.[17][18][19] On June 15, 2012, a working Apple I was sold at auction by Sotheby's for a record $374,500, more than double the expected price.[20] In October 2012, a non-working Apple I from the estate of former Apple Computer employee Joe Copson was put up for auction by Christie's, but found no bidder who was willing to pay the starting price of US$80,000 (50,000).[21] Copson's board had previously been listed on eBay in December 2011, with a starting bid of $170,000 and failed to sell. On November 24, 2012, a working Apple I was sold at auction by Auction Team Breker for 400,000[22] On May 25, 2013, a functioning 1976 model was sold for a record 516,000 (US$668,000) in Cologne.[23] Auction Team Breker said "an unnamed Asian client" bought the Apple I. This particular unit has Wozniak's signature. An old business transaction letter from Jobs also was included, as well as the

original owner's manual.[24] On June 24, 2013, an Apple I was listed by Christie's as part of a special on-line only auction lot called, "First Bytes: Iconic Technology From the Twentieth Century". Bidding ran through July 9, 2013. The unit sold for $390,000.[25]

Serial Numbers
According to Steve Jobs, Apple did not assign serial numbers to the Apple I. Several boards have been found with numbered stickers affixed to them which appear to be inspection stickers from the PCB manufacturer/assembler. A batch of boards is known to have numbers hand-written in black permanent marker on the back; these usually appear as "01-00##" and anecdotal evidence suggests they are inventory control numbers added by The Byte Shop to the batch Apple sold them. These Byte Shop numbers have often mistakenly been described as serial numbers by auction houses and in related press coverage.[26]

Clones and replicas

Several Apple I clones and replicas have been released in recent years. These are all created by hobbyists and marketed to the hobbyist/collector community. Availability is usually limited to small runs in response to demand. Replica 1: Created by Vince Briel. A software-compatible clone, produced using modern components, released in 2003 at a price of around $200.[27][28][29][30] A-One: Created by Frank Achatz, also using modern components.[31] Obtronix Apple I reproduction: Created by Steve Gabaly, using original components or equivalents thereof. Sold through eBay.[32] Mimeo 1: Created by Mike Willegal. A hardware kit designed to replicate a real Apple I as accurately possible. Buyers are expected to assemble the kits themselves.[33] Newton 1: Created by Michael Ng. A hardware kit similar to the Mimeo 1, and sold through eBay.[34][35]

Emulation
MESS, an emulation system able to emulate the Apple I. OpenEmulator, an accurate emulator of the Apple I, the ACI (Apple Cassette Interface) and CFFA1 expansion card. Pom1, an open source Apple I emulator for Microsoft Windows, Arch Linux and Android devices.[36] Apple 1 Emulator, an emulator for the SAM Coup home computer.[37] CocoaPom, a Java-based emulator with a Cocoa front end for Macintosh.[38] Sim6502, an Apple I emulator for Macintosh.[39]

References
1. ^ "Co-founder tells his side of Apple story" (http://news.oneindia.in/2006/09/27/co-founder-tells-his-side-ofapple-story-1159346150.html). Reuters. September 27, 2006. 2. ^ NPR : A Chat with Computing Pioneer Steve Wozniak (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=6167297) 3. ^ Kelley: Jobs' vision changed the way we work, play (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/aug/30/kelley-jobsvision-changed-the-way-we-work-play/?opinion=1)

4. ^ Steve Jobs: Steve Wozniak Remembers (http://www.groovypost.com/news/steve-jobs-steve-wozniakremembers/) 5. ^ Freiberger, Paul; Swaine, Michael (2000). Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. pp. 265267. ISBN 0-07-135892-7. "At a Homebrew meeting in July 1976, Woz gave a demonstration of the Apple 1. Paul Terrell, one of the industries earliest retailers, was in attendance." 6. ^ Wozniak, Steve (2006). iWoz. W.W. Norton & Company. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-393-33043-4. "After my first meeting, I started designing the computer that would later be known as the Apple I. It was that inspiring." 7. ^ "Video: Wozniak: $666.66 seemed like a good idea" (http://news.cnet.com/1606-2-5937610.html). CNET News. November 7, 2005. Retrieved February 19, 2009. 8. ^ Wozniak, Steven: "iWoz", page 180. W. W. Norton, 2006. ISBN 978-0-393-06143-7 9. ^ April 1977 Price List | Applefritter (http://www.applefritter.com/node/2703) 10. ^ Bill of Sale | Applefritter (http://www.applefritter.com/node/2715) 11. ^ October 1977 Price List | Applefritter (http://www.applefritter.com/node/2707) 12. ^ "The Apple II, cont." (http://apple2history.org/history/ah04/). Apple II History. Retrieved February 27, 2011. 13. ^ "The Huston brothers' Apple-1 Back Story" (http://www.apple1notes.com/old_apple/Huston_Stories_files/A1%20Back%20Story.htm). Retrieved June 25, 2013. 14. ^ Ong, Josh (11 November 2010). "Auction of Apple's first computer expected to top $160k" (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/11/auction_of_apples_first_computer_expected_to_top_160k.html ). Apple Insider. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 15. ^ "The Apple 1 Registry" (http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-originals.htm). Apple I Mimeo Project. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 16. ^ Calande, John (24 March 2010). "Another very nice Apple-1 sold on ebay yesterday" (http://apple1computer.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-very-nice-apple-1-sold-on-ebay.html). Retrieved 16 June 2012. 17. ^ BBC News (23 November 2010). "First Apple computer fetches 130,000 at auction" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11825954). BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 18. ^ "Christie's Sale 7882 / Lot 65" (http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx? from=searchresults&intObjectID=5370965&sid=1d221fae-dbba-4746-9922-8ca3e066b4bf). Christie's. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 19. ^ Heater, Brian. "$211,000 Apple-1 up and running, wants to know what this 'cloud' thing is all about" (http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/211-000-apple-1-up-and-running-wants-to-know-what-this-cloud/). engadget. engadget.com. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 20. ^ Austin, Scott (15 June 2012). "Original Apple 1 Computer Sells for $374,500 in Auction" (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/06/15/original-apple-1-computer-sells-for-374500-in-auction/). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 June 2012. 21. ^ "Rare apple 1 computer no sale at christies auction" (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/10/rareapple-1-computer-no-sale-at-christies-auction). ABC News. Retrieved 28 October 2012. 22. ^ "the-saleroom.com" (http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/auction-team-breker/catalogueid-2869018/lot-15886115). ATG Media. Retrieved 24 November 2012. 23. ^ http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/working-apple-1-sells-at-auction-for-record-breaking-671400/ 24. ^ "Vintage Apple computer auctioned off for $668,000" (http://news.yahoo.com/vintage-apple-computerauctioned-off-668-000-153151365.html). Yahoo News. Retrieved 25 May 2013. 25. ^ "First Apple Computer Sells for $390,000 in Christies Technology Auction" (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/488167/20130709/apple-1-computer-sold-auction-online-technology.htm). International Business Times. Retrieved 9 July 2013. 26. ^ "The Apple 1 Registry" (http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-originals.htm). Retrieved 26 June 2013. 27. ^ replica I the apple I(c) clone (http://www.applefritter.com/briel), retrieved August 15, 2009 28. ^ replica I (http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=4) at official Briel computers web site, retrieved August 15, 2008 29. ^ Gagne, Ken Image gallery: Building an Apple-1 replica from scratch (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136257/Image_gallery_Building_an_Apple_1_replica_from_scratch) Computerworld, 2009-08-14, story with pictures for assembling a Briel replica I from a kit, retrieved August 15, 2009 30. ^ Owad, Tom Apple I Replica Creation (http://www.applefritter.com/replica), retrieved August 15, 2009 ^ Achatz Electronics (http://web.archive.org/web/20120513041430/http://www.achatz.nl/catalog/index.php?

31. ^ Achatz Electronics (http://web.archive.org/web/20120513041430/http://www.achatz.nl/catalog/index.php? cPath=3&osCsid=03fdcd74daf16db60e1d726327277d88), retrieved July 29, 2013, archived May 13, 2012 32. ^ Vectronics Apple World: Obtronix Apple I Reproduction (http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/appleii/obtronix.php), retrieved July 8, 2013 33. ^ Mimeo 1 kit (http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-kit.htm), retrieved July 8, 2013 34. ^ Apple 1 Replica (Newton 1) Running Test Program (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAFDvkjGLiA), retrieved July 8, 2013 35. ^ Newton 1 replica photos by creator Michael Ng (https://secure.flickr.com/photos/88527147@N03/8090041892/), retrieved July 8, 2013 36. ^ Pom1 Apple 1 Emulator (http://pom1.sourceforge.net/), retrieved July 17, 2013 37. ^ Apple 1 Emulator - SAM Coup (http://simonowen.com/sam/apple1emu/), retrieved July 17, 2013 38. ^ CocoaPom Apple 1 Emulator (http://www.zophar.net/macintosh/apple1/cocoapom.html), retrieved July 17, 2013 39. ^ Sim6502 Apple I emulator (http://www.zophar.net/macintosh/apple1/sim6502.html) retrieved July 17, 2013 Price, Rob, So Far:the First Ten Years of a Vision, Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA, 1987, ISBN 1-55693-9744 Owad, Tom (2005). Apple I Replica Creation: Back to the Garage. (http://www.applefritter.com/replica) Rockland, MA: Syngress Publishing. Copyright 2005. ISBN 1-931836-40-X

External links
Apple I Owners Club (http://www.applefritter.com/apple1) Apple I Operational Manual (http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Apple/Apple.AppleI.1976.102646518.pdf) Apple I project on www.sbprojects.com (http://www.sbprojects.com/projects/apple1/) Apple 1 Computer Registry (http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-originals.htm) Macintosh Prehistory: The Apple I (http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/0509.html) LCF Historical Collection Apple 1 Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e0pfS57ojE) John Calande III blog Building the Apple I clone (http://apple1computer.blogspot.com) Apple 1 Computer sold at auction for $671,000 (http://www.etechblogs.com/apple-1-computer-sold-atauction-for-671000/) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apple_I&oldid=571804468" Categories: Products introduced in 1976 Apple II family Apple Inc. hardware Early microcomputers This page was last modified on 6 September 2013 at 17:16. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.