Apple I to the Macintosh: 1976 to 1985

Apple’s first decade is filled with products that are iconic, not just within Apple’s own history, but the history of technology. Apple is often cited as the originator of personal computing, releasing products that empowered generations of users and set the example for how technology can be used by the masses.

This era saw three different computing platforms come from Apple–that’s how uncertain the future was. By the end of the decade, the Macintosh would emerge as the primary focus for Apple, which would eventually form the basis for iOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. Here’s how the first 10 years of Apple, 1976-1985, shaped the future.

April 1976: Apple I

The computer that started it all didn’t even come with a case–the Apple I was just a circuit board, and buyers had to bring their own case, which resulted in some unique setups that would make Jony Ive cringe. (“Wood? Bollocks.”) Apple made about 200 computers that had a 1.02MHz CMOS Technology 6502 microprocessor and 4K of RAM, and introduced the Apple I at $666.66, which was later reduced to $475.

Because of its rarity and historic influence, the Apple I sometimes becomes available through auctions, and the bidding reaches the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the value of the Apple I in tech history can’t be measured–while other computers came before it, the Apple I sparked the personal computing revolution and firmly established Apple as a tech company not just for business people but for everyone.

June 1977: Apple II

Apple’s second computer, the Apple II, was its first mass-market success. It was designed to appeal to everyday folks, not just the hobbyists who invested in an Apple I. Steve Wozniak made improvements that heightened its utility, and even though its $1,298 price tag was higher than competitors’, the Apple II was a huge hit.

How huge? The Apple II is often cited as one of the greatest computers of all time, if not the greatest. Apple continued with the Apple II line for 16 years, and while the Macintosh eventually became the company’s main platform, the Apple II blazed a trail that even today’s Macs still follow.

January 1983: Apple Lisa

The Apple Lisa (officially Local Integrated Software Architecture ) was the first personal computer with a graphical user interface, which used a document-centric approach and even allowed files to have the same name (which was unheard of in early computer interfaces). Its all-in-one design had a 5MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, support for up to 2MB of RAM, and a 12-inch monochrome display. Named after Steve Jobs’ estranged daughter, it was originally priced at $9,995.

Lisa’s legacy is as complicated as the relationship Jobs had with its namesake, but there’s no denying its importance. In 1980, Steve was kicked off the Lisa project and latched into the Macintosh group, which borrowed many of Lisa’s attributes, namely its GUI. Bruce Daniels, who played a major role on both the Lisa and Macintosh development teams, once said, “All the Mac groups were willing to say that  if there had not been a Lisa, there never would have been a Mac.”

December 1983: ImageWriter

Apple had released printers before 1983, but the ImageWriter was the first that worked with both the Apple II and Macintosh (which wouldn’t arrive for another month). It was one of the first dot-matrix printers, so it could print low-resolution graphics; a lot of other printers used daisy-wheel mechanisms that were meant to produce only text.

It wasn’t until ImageWriter II in 1985 that the project took off and Apple finally discontinued it after 11 years. The ImageWriter II had a sleeker, more refined design, better speed and print modes, and could print in color if you changed the ribbon. By the mid-1980s, laser printers were beginning to transform publishing, and the Apple LaserWriter became the industry standard. 

January 1984: Macintosh 128K

Foundry

The Macintosh 128K set into motion the core of Apple’s business and empowered users everywhere. But the Macintosh was, at first, considered a research project at Apple; the company was more focused on the Apple Lisa. That all changed when Steve Jobs, determined to “make a dent in the universe,” took over the Macintosh team.

Here’s why 1984 wasn’t like 1984: The first Macintosh arrived with an 8MHz Motorola 6800 CPU, supported up to 1MB of RAM, and had a built-in 9-inch monochrome display. System 1.0 ran off a 400K floppy disk, and Disk Swapper’s Elbow became a badge of honor that bonded those early users. 

It’s been 40 years since its debut, but the core features of System 1—the Finder, menu bar, and Control Panel—are still a part of today’s macOS 26, a testament to the versatility of the original idea.

March 1985: LaserWriter

Wikipedia

When the Macintosh was introduced, it was immediately apparent how it was built for creative work, but it needed an affordable device to satisfy professionals who wanted high-quality prints or their creations. The Apple LaserWriter did that, and ushered in what Paul Brainerd termed “desktop publishing.”

The LaserWriter introduced the world to PostScript, Adobe’s page description language that enabled printers to reproduce graphics at the quality that professionals demand. It was also networkable, so that several Macs could connect to it and print. This networkability helped to offset its $6,995 price.

This is part one of a five-part series exploring 50 years of Apple product releases. Stay tuned to Macworld all week as we explore all five decades, continuing tomorrow with 1986-1995.