04/01/1976 • 7 views
Apple Computer Founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, April 1976
On April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak formally founded Apple Computer Company, marking the start of a company that would play a central role in the personal computer revolution of the late 20th century.
The Apple I was introduced in 1976 and differed from many contemporaneous hobbyist machines by coming as a fully assembled circuit board rather than solely a kit requiring buyer assembly. Early sales were modest and largely transacted through local computer clubs, small retailers, and direct orders. The founders initially funded the venture through small investments and loans from friends; a frequently cited anecdote recounts Jobs selling his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak selling a programmable calculator to raise capital, though such details are part of broader oral histories and recollections rather than formal corporate filings.
Apple’s early operations were informal and resourceful. The company’s first notable commercial break came when local electronics retailer The Byte Shop agreed to buy several Apple I units, prompting Jobs and Wozniak to scale production beyond their garage workshop. To fulfill orders they soldered and assembled boards and arranged for limited production runs. In 1977, Apple introduced the Apple II—an expanded, color-capable, consumer-ready personal computer with a plastic case and integrated keyboard—which proved commercially successful and helped establish Apple as a viable company in the emerging microcomputer industry.
The founding of Apple took place within a broader technological and cultural context: the mid-1970s saw the rise of microprocessors, hobbyist computer clubs (notably the Homebrew Computer Club in the San Francisco Bay Area), and a growing market for personal computing. Jobs and Wozniak were both participants in that scene. While Wozniak provided the engineering innovation, Jobs focused on product concept, user experience, and business strategy—roles that would continue to define their complementary partnership in Apple’s early years.
Corporate formalities followed the company’s founding. Apple’s initial structure and name appeared in filings and early invoices; the business was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. in January 1977, following its initial 1976 formation. Over subsequent years the company expanded its product line, attracted investors, hired employees, and moved from small-scale assembly to larger manufacturing and distribution.
Historians and company records agree on the basic facts of Apple’s founding in 1976 by Jobs and Wozniak, though some anecdotal details in popular retellings vary between accounts. The date April 1, 1976, is widely cited as the formation date used by the founders in early narratives. The company’s evolution from a garage-based startup to a major technology firm involved many contributors beyond its two named founders, including early employees, investors, retailers and the broader hobbyist community.
Apple’s founding is often framed as a seminal moment in the personal computer era because the company helped popularize machines designed for individual users and small businesses, with an emphasis on integrated design, consumer-friendly interfaces and packaged hardware. The Apple I and especially the Apple II played significant roles in demonstrating and commercializing those ideas, setting the stage for decades of product development and corporate growth that followed.
This account sticks to well-documented milestones—founding in 1976 by Jobs and Wozniak, the Apple I and Apple II developments, and incorporation in 1977—while noting that some colorful details in popular histories derive from personal recollections that can differ among participants.