1980 – 1984retired
Apple III
“Tried to outgrow the Apple II; instead it taught Apple to love it again.”
“The motherboard that started it all — it merely needed a case, and a little faith.”
The Apple-1 was an 8-bit personal computer designed by Steve Wozniak and sold by the fledgling Apple Computer Company starting in 1976 — the company's very first product. Unlike most hobbyist computers of its day, which arrived as bags of parts, it came as a pre-assembled motherboard with built-in video terminal circuitry, ready to plug straight into a household television. You still had to supply your own case, powe
After a prototype demo at the Homebrew Computer Club, Steve Jobs landed an order for 50 units from the Byte Shop, and production was on. The machine was retired on September 30, 1977, having already laid the foundation for what would become one of the world's largest technology companies. Few first products can say they started a revolution and then politely stepped offstage.
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“Tried to outgrow the Apple II; instead it taught Apple to love it again.”
“Thin body, full voice — it played its set and quietly left the stage.”
“It taught the world what a blank page could look like. Rest easy, old friend.”