Editing Apple II (section)

{{Short description|1977–1993 series of microcomputers}}
{{About|the 1977–1993 line of microcomputers|the first model in the series|Apple II (original)}}
{{Redirect|Apple 2|the nuclear test during Operation Teapot|Apple-2}}
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{{Infobox information appliance
| logo = Apple2Logo.svg
| image = Apple II-IMG 7064.jpg
| caption = 1977 Apple II shown with two Disk II floppy drives and a 1980s-era Monitor II
| developer = [[Steve Wozniak]] (original lead designer)
| manufacturer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer, Inc.]]
| releasedate = {{Start date and age|1977|6}} ([[Apple II (original)|original Apple II]])<ref name="hist70">{{Cite web |last=Weyhrich |first=Steven |date=2010-07-10 |title=1969-1977 |url=http://apple2history.org/appendix/ahb/ahb1/ |access-date=2016-10-02 |publisher=Apple II History |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517004444/http://www.apple2history.org/appendix/ahb/ahb1/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| discontinued = {{End date and age|1993|10}}
| os = {{cslist|[[Integer BASIC]] | [[Apple DOS]] | [[Apple ProDOS|ProDOS]] | [[Apple GS/OS|GS/OS]] | [[GNO/ME]]}}
| cpu = {{ubl|[[MOS Technology 6502|6502]] @ 1.023&nbsp;MHz ([[Apple II (original)|II]], [[Apple II Plus|II Plus]], [[Apple IIe|IIe]])|[[65C02]] @ 1.023–4&nbsp;MHz (Enhanced IIe, [[Apple IIc|IIc]], [[Apple IIc Plus|IIc Plus]])|[[WDC 65C816|65C816]] @ 2.8&nbsp;MHz ([[Apple IIGS|IIGS]])}}
| storage = {{ubl|[[Compact Cassette|Audio cassette]]|5.25 inch floppy disk|3.5 inch floppy disk}}
| display = [[NTSC]] video out (built-in [[RCA connector]])
| predecessor = [[Apple I]]
| successor = [[Apple III]] (intended)
| sound = Internal beeper
}}

'''Apple II''' ("apple [[2|two]]", stylized as "Apple ][") is a series of [[microcomputer]]s manufactured by [[Apple Computer, Inc.]] from 1977 to 1993. The [[Apple II (original)|original Apple II model]], which gave the series its name, was designed by [[Steve Wozniak]] and was first sold on June 10, 1977.<ref name="Apple II intro date">{{cite web |title=June 10, 1977 - Apple II Shipped Today |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/June/10/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620175048/http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/June/10/ |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |access-date=August 3, 2012 |work=This Day in History |publisher=Computer History Museum |location=Mountain View, CA |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Its success led to it being followed by the [[Apple II Plus]], [[Apple IIe]], [[Apple IIc]], and [[Apple IIc Plus]], with the 1983 IIe being the most popular. The name is trademarked with square brackets as '''Apple&nbsp;][''', then, beginning with the IIe, as '''Apple&nbsp;//'''.

The Apple II was a major advancement over its predecessor, the [[Apple I]], in terms of ease of use, features, and expandability. It became one of several recognizable and successful computers throughout the 1980s, although this was mainly limited to the US. It was aggressively marketed through volume discounts and [[manufacturing]] arrangements to educational institutions, which made it the first computer in widespread use in American secondary schools, displacing the early leader [[Commodore PET]]. The effort to develop educational and business [[software]] for the Apple II, including the 1979 release of the popular [[VisiCalc]] [[spreadsheet]], made the computer especially popular with business users and families.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chris Cavanaugh |date=May 2004 |title=Apple II Biography |url=http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918090703/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=6 |archive-date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=October 7, 2009 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Wilson Rothman |date=July 19, 2009 |title=Apple II: The World Catches On |url=http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/07/apple-ii-the-world-catches-on/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016194610/http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/07/apple-ii-the-world-catches-on/ |archive-date=October 16, 2009 |access-date=October 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Mary Bellis |title=The First Spreadsheet |url=http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa010199.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413045648/https://www.thoughtco.com/dan-bricklin-bob-frankston-spreadsheet-visicalc-4078060 |archive-date=April 13, 2020 |access-date=October 7, 2009}}</ref>

The Apple II computers are based on the [[6502]] [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] [[Processor (computing)|processor]] and can display text and two resolutions of color graphics. A software-controlled speaker provides one channel of low-fidelity audio. A model with more advanced graphics and sound and a 16-bit processor, the [[Apple IIGS|Apple II<small>GS</small>]], was added in 1986. It remained compatible with earlier Apple II models, but the II<small>GS</small> has more in common with mid-1980s systems like the [[Atari ST]], [[Amiga]], and [[Acorn Archimedes]].

Despite the introduction of the [[Motorola 68000]]-based [[Macintosh 128K|Macintosh]] in 1984, the Apple II series still reportedly accounted for 85% of the company's hardware sales in the first quarter of fiscal 1985.<ref name="libes198506">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1985-06/1985_06_BYTE_10-06_Programming_Techniques#page/n475/mode/2up | title=Apple Bytes and Pits | work=BYTE | date=June 1985 | access-date=October 27, 2013 | author=Libes, Sol | pages=468–469}}</ref> Apple continued to sell Apple II systems alongside the Macintosh until terminating the II<small>GS</small> in December 1992<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.applematters.com/collections/apple-iigs/ |title=Apple IIGS // Collections |publisher=Applematters.com |date=May 23, 2005 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228075559/http://www.applematters.com/collections/apple-iigs/ |archive-date=December 28, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the IIe in November 1993.<ref>{{cite web |author=Steven Weyhrich |url=http://apple2history.org/history/appy/ahb5.html |title=Apple II History Timeline |publisher=Apple2history.org |date=May 16, 2003 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710043530/http://apple2history.org/history/appy/ahb5.html |archive-date=July 10, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The last II-series Apple in production, the [[Apple IIe Card|IIe card for Macintoshes]], was discontinued on October 15, 1993; having been one of the longest running mass-produced home computer series, the total Apple II sales of all of its models during its 16-year production run were about 6 million units (including about 1.25&nbsp;million Apple II<small>GS</small> models)<!-- Cites:  - the previous entry claimed only 2 million Apple II-line machines had been produced total, which is incorrect (in fact Apple surpassed 2&nbsp;million Apple II sales in 1984) --> with the peak occurring in 1983 when 1 million were sold.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book |last=Forster |first=Winnie |author-link=Winnie Forster |title=The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & home computers 1972–2005 |publisher=GAMEPLAN |year=2005 |isbn=3-00-015359-4 |page=18}}</ref>