Apple II

The Apple II is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The original model, designed by Steve Wozniak, first went on sale on June 10, 1977. The series included the Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, Apple IIc Plus, and Apple IIGS. The IIe was the series' best-selling model. The Apple II name was stylized as the apple ][ on early models and as the Apple // beginning with the IIe in 1983. Alongside the Commodore PET 2001 and the TRS-80, the Apple II was one of the computers commonly grouped as the "1977 Trinity", which helped establish the home computer market. Compared with the bare motherboard of the Apple I, it offered a complete system in a plastic case with a built-in keyboard, color graphics, and an open architecture. Apple marketed the computer to educational institutions and businesses, and the development of software for the platform, including the 1979 release of the VisiCalc spreadsheet, helped expand its use in schools, businesses, and homes. Early Apple II models used the 8-bit MOS Technology 6502 processor, while later models used the compatible but improved WDC 65C02. The computers supported text and color graphics and featured a software-controlled speaker for single-channel sound. Introduced in 1986, the Apple IIGS used a 16-bit WDC 65C816 processor, enhanced graphics, and more advanced sound capabilities. Although largely backwards compatible with earlier Apple II software and hardware, the IIGS also shared features with contemporary 16-bit computers such as the Atari ST and Amiga. Despite the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984, the Apple II series accounted for a larger share of Apple's sales until 1987. Apple continued selling Apple II computers alongside the Macintosh until discontinuing the Apple IIe in November 1993. The Apple IIe Card, which enabled Macintosh computers to run Apple IIe software, was discontinued in May 1995. Apple sold approximately six million Apple II computers during the series' production run, including about 1.25 million IIGS units. Sales peaked in 1983, when the company sold about one million units.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0