How Did Steve Jobs First Begin Apple?

Steve Jobs was a pioneer in technology and serves as one of the greatest inspirations for start-up entrepreneurs today. Apple is a global fixture today, but the company started off just like any other — an idea. From its humble start in a garage in 1979 to a multi-billion-dollar corporation in 2020, here is a short history of Steve Jobs’ legacy.

Apple Begins
Steve Jobs and his friend, Steve Wozniak, met in 1971 through a mutual friend, Bill Hernandez. Hernandez would later become one of Apple’s first employees. Jobs and Wozniak were something of pranksters in college, and it was their love of technology that ultimately helped them lay the groundwork for modern long-distance calling. In fact, the duo once managed to get a call through to the Vatican and nearly spoke to the pope himself!

Both Jobs and Wozniak worked on the popular Atari video game “Breakout” while holding down their own jobs. The two men continued to pursue their love of technology, and it was after attending a Homebrew Computer Club meetup in 1975 that they designed the prototype for the Apple I, America’s first real desktop computer.

When Jobs and Wozniak decided to continue developing the model, they knew they needed a name for their company. Jobs landed on Apple after a trip to a farm. He said in his biography that it sounded “fun, spirited and non-intimidating,” three elements that would become emblematic of the type of technology he would create.

The First Apple Computer Sells
Jobs and Wozniak sold 50 computers to Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, for $500 each. Although it may have seemed like a great deal, there was limited interest in the invention, and Jobs was even turned down by a bank for a loan for money to finance the construction of the computers.

The owner of the Byte Shop was still hesitant to accept the devices even after Jobs hand-delivered them. The Apple I was almost non-functional on its own; code had to be manually inputted to make it function, and it was, more or less, a glorified typewriter that connected to a TV screen to visually display the input.

Nevertheless, Apple I became a success. After constructing 200 units, the Apple II was debuted at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1977.

Innovation Continues
Apple solidified itself as a powerhouse in technology during the rapid expansion of personal hardware during the 1980s. From visual color displays to the iconic Macintosh system, the world of computers would not be what it is today without Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s passion.

Originally posted on WelikyGroupBlog.com.