Apple] [the company Apple computer one is the first Microcomputer, which was far common. Apple] [no Apple Macintosh is and in particular not to confound with the Apple Macintosh II.

With this computer and the program developed for it VisiCalc, the first spread-sheet analysis, came the Microcomputer on the desks. Thus it was possible for a managing director also in a small company to accomplish computation scenarios themselves and change their parameter, without being dependent on a computing centre.

History

The successor Apple of the I was developed by Steve Wozniak and marketed by Steve job (both founders of Apple) starting from April 1977. Soon also various illegal Apple clones, also, appeared there in the early Apple] [models only easily available master chips built by do-it-yourself enthusiasts themselves were used. Legal clones to build was, nearly not possibly there Apple the firmware not licensed (except: CCIT 2020), and these was so programmed that the development of a compatible, but not identical firmware was practically impossible contrary to the later IBM-PC.

Hardware

In Apple] [was used 8-bit a 6502-CPU with 1.023 MHz clock frequency. Apple] [main storage in the basic equipment over 4 KB RAM, expandable to 64 KB, which was removable in the later models on up to 16 MT, ordered. The usually-common storage medium were 5 - BASIC (and/or before the II+ Apple BASIC) served tariff disks, as operating system usually Apple DOS or late pro DOS with diskette use additionally for the inserted Applesoft. Memory on Tonbandkasetten was possible, but never spread with Apple much. A typewriter keyboard, still nearly without special keys, was inserted. As announcement a video monitor served or by means of an inserted HF-modulator a television. Newer televisions can be attached over the SCART socket also directly. The American models did not need a diagram map, which European variants could indicate without such however only in-colored (dissolution in the full diagram mode pixel); for color announcement one needed in the European of Apple a PAL Farbkarte. Starting from the IIe this was however firmly integrated on the motherboard.

Apple] [belonged (together with the Commodore PET introduced at the same time 2001 and Tandy TRS-80) to the first three microcomputers, which not as kit, but as if finished devices were sold. It was usual at the time at that time that the buyer at least had to worry about a suitable keyboard and a monitor, also only naked plates without power pack and housing than computers was partly sold (as first Apple model, Apple I).

Opposite all other devices of the same generation proved Apple] [by its logical, by programmers and hardware developers the one which can be easily reconstructed, in the detail revealed structure as well as by its good expandabilities with eight internal card locations as very long-lived.

Urversion

The Urmodell became 1979 Apple] [+ and Apple] [europlus developed further; the latter was first on a large scale microcomputers sold in Europe. Main difference of the II+ to] [, apart from being omitted the variants with smaller memory than 48 KB, the replacement of Wozniaks Integer BASIC was by Applesoft BASIC, which came from Microsoft. It was noticeably slower, used more memory and was less clear in the structure than Integer BASIC, had however the large advantage that it could count contrary to this also on comma numbers. An Apple own extension of Integer BASIC in this direction had failed because of lack of time, why one had decided to the additional purchase. Applesoft BASIC is by the way to a large extent identically to the Commodore BASIC e.g. the Commodore 64, because also this came from Microsoft and came of to the same base of code. The euro pluses differed from] [+ only in the adjustment to the European television standard with its 50 pictures per second instead of 60 as in America.

The market

1980 mutated Apple // then to the little successful Apple III (its failure because of the market IBM with their IBM-PC, which konzeptuell to a large extent of Apple] [was cribbed from, a large market gap opened), 1982 were then developed further to //e and 1985 portable //c and replaced in the long run 1986 by the partial //gs working with 16 bits, which was sketched again by the returned Steve Wozniak, which was hardly applied however by Apple and beside Apple the Macintosh computers and the Commodore Amiga in Europe any longer much attention did not find. Since Apple in American schools much likes and were common, the series existed however still some years away. The latter Apple //e were manufactured 1993.

Hardware extensions

For this computer beside fundamental programs also many hardware extensions were developed, so for example on it the extension card Microsoft Softcard with a Z80 processor so that one could operate the computer with the operating system Apple CP/M and thus the standard office often commodity of the time, as for instance Wordstar at that time and Dbase existing for it could use.

Further popular extensions were 80-indication maps, which doubled the representable indication number per line (starting from //e available according to standard), serial and parallel interface maps for printers and external modems. In addition still first, simple sound maps so today still came like the Mockingboard, those the inserted loudspeaker Apple, that in comparable design into the so-called IBM-compatible one Computers one uses, nevertheless were clearly superior, but were supported unfortunately only by few programs. The Mockingboard contained among other things the sound chip AY-3-8910 von General instrument, who was nearly identical to that of the Atari ST and the little successful MSX computers.

In the USA determined Apple] [also the early mailbox scene, and it appeared a great many computer games for Apple; in Europe against it different systems dominated the play market. Mailboxes became here only later popular.

Related links

• http://www.klammeraffe.org/~fritsch/uni-sb/fsinfo/Papers/PC/node36.html
• http://www.bernd-leitenberger.de/apple-2.html
• http://www.computer-oldies.de/apple2/a2index.htm
• http://www.computermuseum-muenchen.de/computer/apple/apple2.html
• http://www.computermuseum-muenchen.de/computer/apple/apple2europlus.html
• http://dmoz.org/Computers/Systems/Apple/Apple_II/
• http://apple2history.org/
• http://www.apple-history.com/
• http://www.zock.com/8-Bit/D_Apple-II.HTML
• http://www.wbwip.com/shh/
• http://8bitsoundandfury.no-ip.info

Articles in category "Apple II"

We found here 21 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 5 related websites.

• Apple II family - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The Apple IIc was Apple's first compact and portable computer. ... The Apple IIc was the first Apple II to use the updated 65C02 processor, and featured a ...


• Apple II family - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The Apple IIc was the first microcomputer to include support for the Dvorak ... The final Apple II model was the Apple IIc Plus introduced in 1988. ...


• Apple II History
  An extensive history of the Apple II by Steven Weyhrich.


• Apple II History Chap 3
  The first Apple II's came standard with 4K of memory, and more could be ... Dealers would sell an Apple II with a "Sup'R'Mod" (costing about $30) if the ...


• Apple II History Chap 7
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