Amaya Toman Okwesithathu kuJanuwari 1977 kwakumele i-Apple - kuseyi-Apple Computer Co. – ingqopha-mlando. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho le nkampani yaba yinkampani kwathi uSteve Jobs noSteve Wozniak babalwa ngokusemthethweni njengabasunguli bayo.
URon Wayne, naye owayekhona ngesikhathi kuzalwa le nkampani nowayengowokuqala ukutshala imali kuyona, wagcina engeyona ingxenye yesivumelwano. Ngaleso sikhathi, wayesethengise isabelo sakhe ku-Apple - ngokombono wanamuhla, inhlekisa - amadola angama-800. Le nkampani ikweleta uxhaso lwezimali nolwazi oludingekayo ukuze i-Apple imenyezelwe njengenhlangano kuMike Markkul, owenza uphawu olubalulekile emlandweni we-Apple.
Ngemuva kokusungulwa kwayo ngo-Ephreli 1976, i-Apple yakhipha ikhompuyutha yayo yokuqala, i-Apple-1. Namuhla, ilanda izibalo zezinkanyezi ezindalini emhlabeni wonke, ngesikhathi ikhululwa (ngoJuni 1976) yayithengiswa ngenani lamadola angama-666,66 futhi ngokuqinisekile ayinakubhekwa njengento eshaqisayo. Inani elilinganiselwe kuphela lamayunithi eza emhlabeni futhi, ngokungafani nemikhiqizo yakamuva evela kwa-Apple, ayizange igqame nganoma iyiphi indlela eyeqisayo uma iqhathaniswa nomncintiswano. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iqembu lamakhasimende avamile enkampani ngaleso sikhathi lalinohlobo oluhluke ngokuphelele kunalolu olunalo namuhla.
USteve Jobs, uMike Markulla, uSteve Wozniak kanye nekhompyutha ye-Apple-1:
Ushintsho lwenzeka kuphela ngokukhululwa kwemodeli ye-Apple II. Bekuyikhompyutha yokuqala ekhiqizwe yinkampani yakwaCupertino eyenzelwe ngqo imakethe enkulu. Yathengiswa ngekhibhodi futhi yaziqhenya ngokuhambisana ne-BASIC kanye nemifanekiso yemibala. Kwakuyisici sokugcina, kanye nezinto ezisetshenziswayo ezinamandla neziwusizo kanye nesofthiwe, okuhlanganisa imidlalo namathuluzi okukhiqiza, okwenza i-Apple II yaba umkhiqizo ophumelele kakhulu.
I-Apple II ingachazwa ngempela njengekhompiyutha eyayingaphambi kwesikhathi sayo ngezindlela eziningi, ngokokuklanywa kwayo kusukela ku-workshop kaJerry Manock kanye nemisebenzi yayo. Yayinikwa amandla iphrosesa engu-1MHz MOS 6502 futhi inenkumbulo enwebekayo ukusuka ku-4KB ukuya ku-48KB, ikhadi lomsindo, izikhala eziyisishiyagalombili zokunwetshwa okwengeziwe kanye nekhibhodi ehlanganisiwe. Ekuqaleni, abanikazi be-Apple II babengasebenzisa isixhumi esibonakalayo sekhasethi elilalelwayo ukuze baqhube izinhlelo futhi balondoloze idatha, ngemva konyaka uguquko lwafika ngendlela ye-Disk II drive yamadiski angama-intshi angu-5 1/4. "Ngicabanga ukuthi ikhompuyutha yomuntu siqu kufanele ibe yincane, ithembeke, isebenziseke kalula futhi ingabizi," USteve Wozniak uthe ngaleso sikhathi engxoxweni nephephabhuku iByte.
Ikhompyutha ye-Apple II:
Igalari yezithombe
Ukukhiqizwa kwekhompiyutha ecishe iphelele, nokho, ngokunengqondo kwakudinga izindleko zezimali eziphakeme kakhulu kune-Jobs kanye ne-Wozniak ababengakwazi ukuyisebenzisa ngaleso sikhathi. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho kwafika khona ukutakula ngoMike Markkula kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kwakhe okubalulekile. I-Markkula yethulwa kwezeMisebenzi yingqwele yezentengiso u-Regis McKenna kanye nongxowankulu webhizinisi u-Don Valentine. Ngo-1976, uMarkkula wavumelana noJobs noWozniak ukwakha uhlelo lwebhizinisi lwe-Apple. Umgomo wabo kwakuwukufinyelela ku-$500 million ekuthengisweni phakathi neminyaka eyishumi. UMarkkula utshale imali engu-$92 ku-Apple ephaketheni lakhe futhi wasiza inkampani ukuthi ithole omunye umjovo wezezimali ngendlela yokubolekwa imali eyikota yesigidi evela eBank of America. Akuphelanga sikhathi esingakanani u-Apple eseyinkampani ngokusemthethweni, uMichael Scott waba yi-CEO yokuqala - umholo wakhe wonyaka ngaleso sikhathi wawungu-$26.
Ekugcineni, ukutshalwa kwezimali kulokhu okukhulunywe ngakho ngenhla kwakhokhele ngempela i-Apple. Ikhompyutha ye-Apple II yamlethela imali engu-770 yamadola ngonyaka eyakhululwa ngawo, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-7,9 ngonyaka olandelayo, ngisho nezigidi ezihloniphekile ezingu-49 ngonyaka odlule.
