Skip the navigation
Opinion

Apple at 30, Part 1: From the Apple I to Jobs’ ouster

What a long, strange IT trip it's been

By Ryan Faas
March 30, 2006 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Editor's note: Parts 2 and 3 of this look back at Apple will run later in April.

Steve Wozniak recently said in an interview that he never expected to change the world when he and current Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs founded Apple in 1976. That comment contrasts with the well-known quote from Jobs a few years after founding the company, during development of the first Macintosh, when he boasted that the Mac team was “trying to put a dent in the universe.” While the disparate opinions of Apple’s two founders show how they viewed the company, as Apple turns 30 years old this weekend, few would argue with the statement that the company has had a major impact on the world of personal computing.

Every Apple press release now includes the tagline that Apple “ignited” the PC revolution. But Apple has done much more than that over the past three decades. The company has been reinvented time and again, molding itself to both what the technology industry and the world are and, more often, what the world and the industry could be. It has certainly blundered along the way, produced its fair share of computing clunkers and released products so far ahead of the curve that they became popular only after Apple discontinued them.

The result has been an amazing legacy of innovations. In this retrospective, we’ll take a virtual trip down memory lane to look at some Apple’s famous -- and infamous -- moments.

The Apple I

Apple’s first computer, originally called simply the Apple, wouldn’t even be recognized today as a computer. It was essentially a circuit board waiting to be put in a case with all the other components needed to make it run. Fifty Apple Is were produced and sold for $500 to the The Byte Shop computer store. The store owner assumed that the computers would come fully assembled, but kept his part of the deal when the circuit board kits were delivered, paying the nascent Apple in full and finishing the computers for sale himself.

Incorporation and the Birth of the Apple II

Thankfully, Wozniak conceived of the Apple II as a fully built computer. Although producing the Apple II required a much greater investment than a couple of guys in a garage in California could muster, the two Steves kept believing in the promise of Apple, turning down a deal to sell the technology to Commodore Business Machines Ltd., which went on to have some success with the Commodore 64 and 128 computers in the 1980s. Apple was lucky enough to find the aid and financing of Mike Markkula, who helped draft Apple’s first business plan, get the company incorporated, recruited its first president and secured the investment capital needed to produce the first Apple IIs. The Apple II was a hit with computer fans. Once Apple shipped a floppy drive and the first spreadsheet application, VisiCalc, was written for the Apple II, it became the first PC to see value beyond hobbyists.



What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Hardware White Papers
Gary Watson, CTO, Nexsan: 6 Tips for Selecting Hard Drives
What type of drives should be used for what types of data? Selecting a drive and interface can seem complex with considerations of...
10 Reasons to Modernize the Desktop
Learn how to enhance your business through VMware View
The Laptop Dilemma: How to Maximize Productivity and Lower the Burden on IT
Download Now
Mobile Middleware Strategies
Learn why a mobile development platform is critical to be able to support today's complex enterprise mobility strategies. Learn what to look for...
The Evolution of Enterprise Mobile App Development
Driven by explosive growth in smartphone and tablet sales, enterprise mobility has become an essential part of business. Organizations across industries are developing...
All Hardware White Papers
Hardware Webcasts
Delivery Management -- Extending Lifecycle Management
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT

Siloed organizations continue doing the wrong things and doing things wrong, leading to increased costs,...
Leverage automation today to reduce IT complexity
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 2:00 PM EDT

Whether your B2B complexity is caused by multiple technologies due to M&A, business or application specific...
Redefine Expectations in the Data Center
Need to do more with less? Watch this video to learn how HP ProLiant Gen8 servers can help your business deploy servers three...
BMC Control-M - Single Point of Control Demo
With BMC Control-M, you schedule and manage everything - down to the very last platform and application - from one simple interface. It's...
Operational Analytics - Changing the Competitive Dynamics of the Business
Date/Time: June 5, 2012, 11:00 a.m., EDT, 4:00 p.m. BST / 3:00 p.m. UTC

Please join us for this webcast, as Dr. Barry...
All Hardware Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs