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{{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}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Original research|date=September 2024}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=April 2023}}}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{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&nbsp;MHz ([[Apple IIe#Enhanced_IIe|Enhanced IIe]], [[Apple IIc|IIc]])|[[65C02]] @ 1.023–4&nbsp;MHz ([[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 [[Roman numerals|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>

==Hardware==
[[File:Apple iie.jpg|thumb|Apple IIe with DuoDisk and Monitor //]]

Unlike preceding home microcomputers, the Apple II was sold as a finished consumer appliance rather than as a kit (unassembled or preassembled).  Apple marketed the Apple II as a durable product, including a 1981 [[Advertising|ad]] in which an Apple II survived a [[fire]] started when a cat belonging to one early user knocked over a lamp.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-12/1981_12_BYTE_06-12_Computer_Games#page/n13/mode/2up|title=Apple ad, Byte December 1981|date=December 1981 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231015338/http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-12/1981_12_BYTE_06-12_Computer_Games#page/n13/mode/2up|archive-date=December 31, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

All the machines in the series, except the IIc, share similar overall design elements. The plastic case was designed to look more like a [[Small appliance|home appliance]] than a piece of [[electronics|electronic]] equipment,<ref>Helmer, Carl, "An Apple to Byte," Byte, March 1978, p. 18-46.</ref> and the case can be opened without the use of tools. All models in the Apple II series have a built-in keyboard, with the exception of the II<small>GS</small> which has a separate keyboard.

[[File:Apple IIc with monitor.jpg|thumb|Apple IIc with monitor]]

Apple IIs have color and high-resolution [[Apple II graphics|graphics modes]], sound capabilities and a built-in [[BASIC]] programming language.  The [[motherboard]] holds eight [[expansion slot]]s and an array of random access memory (RAM) sockets that can hold up to 48&nbsp;[[kilobyte]]s. Over the course of the Apple II series' life, an enormous amount of first- and third-party hardware was made available to extend the capabilities of the machine.  The IIc was designed as a compact, portable unit, not intended to be disassembled, and cannot use most of the expansion hardware sold for the other machines in the series.

[[File:Apple Museum (Prague) Apple IIGS Woz (1986).jpg|thumb|Apple II<small>GS</small>]]

==Software==
The [[Apple II (original)|original Apple II]] has the [[operating system]] in [[Read-only memory|ROM]] along with a BASIC variant called [[Integer BASIC]]. Apple eventually released [[Applesoft BASIC]], a more advanced variant of the language which users can run instead of Integer BASIC. The Apple II series eventually supported over 1,500 software programs.<!-- apparently we can cite VanLOVEs Apple Handbook and The Apple Educators Guide by Gerald VanDiver and Rolland Love on this -->

When the [[Disk II]] floppy disk drive was released in 1978, a new operating system, [[Apple DOS]], was commissioned from [[Shepardson Microsystems]]<ref name="Apple DOS commissioned">{{cite web|title=The untold story behind Apple's $13,000 operating system|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57577597-37/the-untold-story-behind-apples-$13000-operating-system/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404095756/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57577597-37/the-untold-story-behind-apples-$13000-operating-system/|archive-date=April 4, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2013|website=CNET|location=San Francisco, CA|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Apple DOS contract">{{cite web|title=DigiBarn Docs: "How Apple Booted Up" Key Documents in the Creation of Apple's First Operating System (Apple II DOS, 1978)|url=http://www.digibarn.com/collections/business-docs/apple-II-DOS/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403083337/http://www.digibarn.com/collections///business-docs/apple-II-DOS/index.html|archive-date=April 3, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2013|publisher=DigiBarn|location=CA|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and developed by Paul Laughton, adding support for the disk drive.<ref name="Apple DOS developer">{{cite web|title=Apple Computer The Early Days A Personal Perspective|url=http://www.laughton.com/Apple/Apple.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725020604/http://www.laughton.com/Apple/Apple.html|archive-date=July 25, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2013|publisher=Paul Laughton|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The final and most popular version of this software was Apple DOS 3.3.

Apple DOS was superseded by [[Apple ProDOS|ProDOS]], which supported a [[hierarchical file system]] and larger storage devices. With an optional third-party [[Zilog Z80|Z80]]-based [[expansion card]],<ref name="z80">{{cite journal|last=Petersen|first=Marty|date=February 6, 1984|title=Review: Premium Softcard IIe|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group|volume=6|issue=6|page=64|quote=Several manufacturers, however, make Z80 coprocessor boards that plug into the Apple II.|journal=[[InfoWorld]]}}</ref> the Apple II could boot into the [[CP/M]] operating system and run [[WordStar]], [[dBase|dBase II]], and other CP/M software. With the release of MousePaint in 1984 and the Apple II<small>GS</small> in 1986, the platform took on the look of the [[classic Mac OS|Macintosh]] user interface, including a mouse.

Much commercial Apple II software shipped on [[self-booting disk]]s and does not use standard DOS disk formats. This discouraged the copying or modifying of the software on the disks, and improved loading speed.

==Models==
===Apple II===
{{Main|Apple II (original)}}

[[File:Micromodem II in Apple II.jpg|thumb|An Apple II computer with an internal [[modem]] and external [[Data access arrangement|DAA]]]]

The first Apple II computers went on sale on June 10, 1977<ref name = "Apple II intro date"/><ref name="Apple II History">{{cite web |last=Weyhrich |first=Steven |date=December 2008 |title=4-The Apple II, cont. - Product Introduction |url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah04/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110722173215/http://apple2history.org/history/ah04/ |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |access-date=August 3, 2012 |work=Apple II History |publisher=Apple2History.org |quote=The first motherboard-only Apple II computers shipped on May 10, 1977, for those who wanted to add their own case, keyboard, and power supply (or wanted to update their [[Apple I|Apple-1]] "system" with the latest and greatest). A month later, on June 10, 1977, Apple began shipping full Apple II systems. |df=mdy-all}}</ref> with a [[MOS Technology 6502]] (later [[Synertek]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apple2history.org/museum/articles/microreport/|title=Apple II History Microprocessor Report|date=July 19, 2010|access-date=July 6, 2015|archive-date=July 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722235253/http://apple2history.org/museum/articles/microreport/|url-status=live}}</ref> microprocessor running at 1.023&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]], 4&nbsp;KB of [[Random-access memory|RAM]], an [[audio cassette interface]] for loading programs and storing data, and the [[Integer BASIC]] programming language built into the [[read-only memory|ROMs]]. The video controller displayed 40 columns by 24 lines of monochrome, upper-case-only (the original character set matches [[ASCII]] characters 0x20 to 0x5F) text on the screen, with [[NTSC]] [[composite video]] output suitable for display on a TV monitor, or on a regular TV set by way of a separate [[RF modulator]]. The original retail price of the computer was {{US$|1298|1977|round=-2}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Forster| first=Winnie|author-link=Winnie Forster|title=The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & home computers 1972–2005|year=2005|publisher=GAMEPLAN|isbn=3-00-015359-4|page=19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Apple|title=Introducing Apple II|url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1977-06/1977_06_BYTE_02-06_Cognitive_Robot#page/n15/mode/2up|website=Archive|date=June 1977 |access-date=4 September 2014|ref=Apple II Advertisement}}</ref> with 4&nbsp;KB of RAM and {{US$|2638|1977|round=-2}} with the maximum 48&nbsp;KB of RAM. To reflect the computer's [[Apple II graphics|color graphics]] capability, the Apple logo on the casing was represented using rainbow stripes,<ref>{{cite web|title=Apple II History Chapter 4 |url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah04.html |author=Steven Weyhrich |date=April 21, 2002 |access-date=November 16, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925003021/http://apple2history.org/history/ah04.html |archive-date=September 25, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo |url=https://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo/ |date=July 20, 2020 |access-date=September 12, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024013734/http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo |url-status=live }}</ref> which remained a part of Apple's corporate logo until early 1998. The earliest Apple IIs were assembled in [[Silicon Valley]], and later in Texas;<ref>{{cite book|first=Frank|last=Rose|title=West of Eden |publisher=Arrow Books|year=1989|page=3|isbn=0-09-976200-5}}</ref> [[printed circuit board]]s were manufactured in Ireland and [[Singapore]].

An external {{frac|5|1|4}}-inch [[floppy disk]] drive, the [[Disk II]], attached via a controller card that plugged into one of the computer's expansion slots (usually slot 6), was used for data storage and retrieval to replace cassettes. The Disk II interface, created by [[Steve Wozniak]], was regarded as an engineering masterpiece for its economy of electronic components.<ref>{{cite web|title=Apple II History Chapter 5, The Disk II |url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah05.html |author=Steven Weyhrich |date=December 28, 2001 |access-date=November 16, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201122002/http://apple2history.org/history/ah05.html |archive-date=December 1, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[[Paul Freiberger|Freiberger, Paul]], and [[Michael Swaine (technical author)|Michael Swaine]]. "Fire In The Valley, Part Two (Book Excerpt)", A+ Magazine, January 1985: 45.</ref>

Rather than having a dedicated sound-synthesis chip, the Apple II had a toggle circuit that could only emit a click through a built-in speaker; all other sounds (including two, three and, eventually, four-voice music and playback of audio samples and speech synthesis) were generated entirely by software that clicked the speaker at just the right times.

The Apple II's multiple expansion slots permitted a wide variety of third-party devices, including [[Apple II peripheral cards]] such as [[Apple II serial cards|serial controllers]], display controllers, memory boards, hard disks, networking components, and [[Apple II system clocks|real-time clocks]]. There were plug-in [[Apple II processor cards|expansion cards]] – such as the [[Z-80 SoftCard]]<ref name=z80/> – that permitted the Apple to use the [[Zilog Z80|Z80]] processor and run a multitude of programs developed under the [[CP/M]] operating system,<ref name="z80"/> including the [[dBase|dBase II]] database and the [[WordStar]] word processor. There was also a third-party [[Motorola 6809|6809]] card that would allow [[OS-9]] Level One to be run.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} Third-party [[Apple II sound cards|sound cards]] greatly improved audio capabilities, allowing simple music synthesis and text-to-speech functions. Eventually, [[Apple II accelerators|Apple II accelerator cards]] were created to double or quadruple the computer's speed.

[[Rod Holt]] designed the Apple II's power supply. He employed a [[switched-mode power supply]] design, which was far smaller and generated less unwanted heat than the [[linear power supply]] some other home computers used.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.righto.com/2012/02/apple-didnt-revolutionize-power.html#ref28|title=Apple didn't revolutionize power supplies; new transistors did|website=www.righto.com|access-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://timetravel.mementoweb.org/memento/20131207033722/www.righto.com/2012/02/apple-didnt-revolutionize-power.html#ref28|archive-date=December 7, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The original Apple II was discontinued at the start of 1981; it was superseded by the [[Apple II+]].

===Apple II Plus===
{{Main|Apple II Plus}}
[[File:Apple II Plus.jpg|thumb|Apple II Plus]]

The Apple II Plus, introduced in June 1979,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah06.html|title=Apple II History Chap 6|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710011643/http://apple2history.org/history/ah06.html|archive-date=July 10, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/0509.html|title=Macintosh Prehistory: The Apple I and Apple II Era|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014022114/http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/0509.html|archive-date=October 14, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://applemuseum.bott.org/sections/products.html|title=Apple Products|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111010210939/http://applemuseum.bott.org/sections/products.html|archive-date=October 10, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/madkins/timeline.html|title=EDTechTimeline|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018104250/http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/madkins/timeline.html|archive-date=October 18, 2007|df=mdy-all|access-date=June 25, 2007}}</ref> included the [[Applesoft BASIC]] programming language in [[Read-only memory|ROM.]] This [[Microsoft]]-authored dialect of BASIC, which was previously available as an upgrade, supported floating-point arithmetic, and became the standard BASIC dialect on the Apple II series (though it ran at a noticeably slower speed than Steve Wozniak's Integer BASIC).

Except for improved graphics and disk-booting support in the ROM, and the removal of the 2k 6502 assembler to make room for the floating point BASIC, the II+ was otherwise identical to the original II in terms of electronic functionality. There were small differences in the physical appearance and keyboard. RAM prices fell during 1980–81 and all II+ machines came from the factory with a full 48 KB of memory already installed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm34_3.pdf|title=U.S. Army Field Manual 34-3, Intelligence Analysis|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604064552/http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm34_3.pdf|archive-date=June 4, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

====Apple II Europlus and J-Plus====
[[File:Apple II plus.jpg|thumb|Apple II Europlus]]
[[File:Apple II J-Plus.jpg|thumb|Apple II J-Plus]]

After the success of the first Apple II in the United States, Apple expanded its market to include Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the Far East in 1979, with the '''Apple II Europlus''' (Europe, Australia) and the '''Apple II J-Plus''' (Japan). In these models, Apple made the necessary hardware, software and [[firmware]] changes in order to comply to standards outside of the US.

===Apple IIe===
{{Main|Apple IIe}}

The Apple II Plus was followed in 1983 by the Apple IIe, a cost-reduced yet more powerful machine that used newer chips to reduce the component count and add new features, such as the display of upper and lowercase letters and a standard 64&nbsp;KB of RAM.

The IIe RAM was configured as if it were a 48&nbsp;KB Apple II Plus with a language card. The machine had no slot 0, but instead had an auxiliary slot that could accept a 1&nbsp;KB memory card to enable the 80-column display. This card contained only RAM; the hardware and firmware for the 80-column display was built into the Apple IIe. An "extended 80-column card" with more memory increased the machine's RAM to 128&nbsp;KB.

The Apple IIe was the most popular machine in the Apple II series. It has the distinction of being the longest-lived Apple computer of all time&mdash;it was manufactured and sold with only minor changes for nearly 11 years. The IIe was the last Apple II model to be sold, and was discontinued in November 1993.

During its lifespan two variations were introduced: the '''Apple IIe Enhanced''' (four replacement chips to give it some of the features of the later model [[Apple IIc]]) and the '''Apple IIe Platinum''' (a modernized case color to match other Apple products of the era, along with the addition of a [[numeric keypad]]).

Some of the features of the IIe were carried over from the less successful ''[[Apple III]]'', among them the [[Apple ProDOS|ProDOS]] operating system.

===Apple IIc===
{{Main|Apple IIc|Frog Design}}
[[File:Apple iicb.jpg|thumb|The Apple IIc was Apple's first compact and portable computer.]]

The Apple IIc was released in April 1984, billed as a portable Apple II because it could be easily carried due to its size and carrying handle, which could be flipped down to prop the machine up into a typing position. Unlike modern [[portable computer|portables]], it lacked a built-in display and battery. It was the first of three Apple II models to be made in the [[Snow White design language]], and the only one that used its unique creamy off-white color.<ref>"Kunkel, Paul, AppleDesign: The work of the Apple Industrial Design Group, with photographs by Rick English, New York: Graphis, 1997, p.30</ref>

The Apple IIc was the first Apple II to use the [[WDC 65C02|65C02]] low-power variant of the 6502 processor, and featured a built-in 5.25-inch floppy drive and 128&nbsp;KB RAM, with a built-in disk controller that could control external drives, composite video (NTSC or PAL), serial interfaces for modem and printer, and a port usable by either a joystick or mouse. Unlike previous Apple II models, the IIc had no internal expansion slots at all.

Two different monochrome [[Liquid-crystal display|LC]] displays were sold for use with the IIc's video expansion port, although both were short-lived due to high cost and poor legibility. The IIc had an external power supply that converted AC power to 15&nbsp;V DC, though the IIc itself will accept between 12&nbsp;V and 17&nbsp;V DC, allowing third parties to offer battery packs and automobile power adapters that connected in place of the supplied AC adapter.

===Apple II<small>GS</small>===
{{Main|Apple IIGS}}
[[File:Apple IIGS with peripherals.jpg|thumb|Apple IIGS with monitor, keyboard, mouse, joystick, 3.5" floppy disk drive and 5.25" floppy disk drive]]

The Apple II<small>GS</small>, released on September 15, 1986, is the penultimate and most advanced model in the Apple II series, and a radical departure from prior models. It uses a [[16-bit computing|16-bit]] microprocessor, the [[WDC 65816/65802|65C816]] operating at 2.8&nbsp;MHz with 24-bit addressing, allowing expansion up to 8&nbsp;MB of RAM. The graphics are significantly improved, with 4096 colors and new modes with resolutions of 320×200 and 640×400.<ref name="making">Duprau, Jeanne, and Tyson, Molly. "The Making of the Apple IIGS", ''A+ Magazine'', November 1986: 57–74.</ref> The audio capabilities are vastly improved, with a built-in music synthesizer that far exceeded any other home computer.

The Apple II<small>GS</small> evolved the platform while still maintaining near-complete backward compatibility. Its [[Mega II]] chip contains the functional equivalent of an entire Apple IIe computer (sans processor). This, combined with the 65816's ability to execute 65C02 code directly, provides full support for legacy software, while also supporting 16-bit software running under a new OS.

The OS eventually included a Macintosh-like graphical [[Finder (software)|Finder]] for managing disks and files and opening documents and applications, along with [[Desk accessory|desk accessories]]. Later, the II<small>GS</small> gained the ability to read and write Macintosh disks and, through third-party software, a multitasking [[Unix shell|Unix-like shell]] and [[TrueType]] font support.

The GS includes a 32-voice Ensoniq 5503 DOC [[sample-based synthesis|sample-based sound synthesizer]] chip with 64&nbsp;KB dedicated RAM,<ref>{{cite web|title=Apple IIGS|url=http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=71|author=Old-Computers.com Museum|access-date=November 16, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061108095625/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=71|archive-date=November 8, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> 256&nbsp;KB (or later 1.125&nbsp;MB) of standard RAM, built-in peripheral ports (switchable between IIe-style card slots and IIc-style onboard controllers for disk drives, mouse, RGB video, and serial devices), and built-in [[AppleTalk]] networking.

===Apple IIc Plus===
{{Main|Apple IIc Plus}}
[[File:Apple IIc Plus (front).jpg|thumb|The Apple IIc Plus, an enhancement of the original portable with faster CPU, 3.5-inch floppy, and built-in power supply. It was the last model in the Apple II line.]]

The final Apple II model was the Apple IIc Plus introduced in 1988. It was the same size and shape as the IIc that came before it, but the 5.25-inch floppy drive had been replaced with a {{frac|3|1|2}}-inch drive, the power supply was moved inside the case, and the processor was a fast 4&nbsp;MHz 65C02 processor that actually ran 8-bit Apple II software faster than the II<small>GS</small>.

The IIc Plus also featured a new keyboard layout that matched the Platinum IIe and II<small>GS</small>. Unlike the IIe IIc and II<small>GS</small>, the IIc Plus came only in one version (American) and was not officially sold anywhere outside the US. The Apple IIc Plus ceased production in 1990, with its two-year production run being the shortest of all the Apple II computers.

===Apple IIe Card===
{{Main|Apple IIe Card}}

Although not an extension of the Apple II line, in 1990 the Apple IIe Card, an expansion card for the [[Macintosh LC]], was released. Essentially a miniaturized Apple IIe computer on a card (using the Mega II chip from the Apple II<small>GS</small>), it allowed the Macintosh to run 8-bit Apple IIe software through [[hardware emulation]], with an option to run at roughly double the speed of the original IIe (about 1.8&nbsp;MHz).  However, the video output was emulated in software, and, depending on how much of the screen the currently running program was trying to update in a single frame, performance could be much slower compared to a real IIe.  This is due to the fact that writes from the 65C02 on the IIe Card to video memory were caught by the additional hardware on the card, so the video emulation software running on the Macintosh side could process that write and update the video display.  But, while the Macintosh was processing video updates, execution of Apple II code would be temporarily halted.

With a breakout cable which connected to the back of the card, the user could attach up to two [[Disk II#UniDisk and Apple 5.25 Drive|UniDisk or Apple 5.25 Drives]], up to one [[Macintosh External Disk Drive#Apple UniDisk 3.5|UniDisk 3.5 drive]], and a DE-9 Apple II joystick.  Many of the LC's built-in Macintosh peripherals could also be "borrowed" by the card when in Apple II mode, including extra RAM, the Mac's internal 3.5-inch floppy drives, AppleTalk networking, any ProDOS-formatted hard disk partitions, the serial ports, mouse, and real-time clock. The IIe card could not, however, run software intended for the 16-bit Apple II<small>GS</small>.

==Advertising, marketing, and packaging==
[[File:Apple II advertisement Dec 1977 page 1.jpg|thumb|A 1977 ''Byte'' magazine advertisement for the original Apple&nbsp;II]]
[[Mike Markkula]],<ref name="Markkula1997">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/business/an-unknown-co-founder-leaves-after-20-years-of-glory-and-turmoil.html|title=An 'Unknown' Co-Founder Leaves After 20 Years of Glory and Turmoil|date=September 1, 1997|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=John|last=Markoff|access-date=April 25, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301012736/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/business/an-unknown-co-founder-leaves-after-20-years-of-glory-and-turmoil.html|archive-date=March 1, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> a retired [[Intel]] marketing manager, provided the early critical funding for Apple Computer. From 1977 to 1981, Apple used the [[Regis McKenna]] agency for its advertisements and marketing. In 1981, [[Chiat/Day|Chiat-Day]] acquired Regis McKenna's advertising operations and Apple used Chiat-Day. At Regis McKenna Advertising, the team assigned to launch the Apple II consisted of [[Rob Janoff]], art director, Chip Schafer, copywriter and Bill Kelley, account executive. Janoff came up with the Apple logo with a bite out of it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.culturecreature.com/apple-logo-meaning/|title=What Does The Apple Logo Mean?|last=Redding|first=Dan|date=25 January 2018|website=Culture Creature|language=en-US|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=June 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602125541/https://www.culturecreature.com/apple-logo-meaning/|url-status=live}}</ref> The design was originally an olive green with matching company logotype all in lowercase.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} [[Steve Jobs]] insisted on promoting the color capability of the Apple II by putting rainbow stripes on the Apple logo. In its letterhead and business card implementation, the rounded "a" of the logotype echoed the "bite" in the logo. This logo was developed simultaneously with an advertisement and a brochure; the latter being produced for distribution initially at the first [[West Coast Computer Faire]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCracken |first=Harry |date=2012-04-16 |title=Apple II Forever: a 35th-Anniversary Tribute to Apple’s First Iconic Product |url=https://techland.time.com/2012/04/16/apple-ii-forever-a-35th-anniversary-tribute-to-apples-first-iconic-product/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |work=Time |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>

Since the original Apple II, Apple has paid high attention to its quality of packaging, partly because of [[Steve Jobs]]' personal preferences and opinions on packaging and final product appearance.<ref>[[Michael Moritz|Moritz, Michael]]. ''The Little Kingdom''. New York, William Morrow and Company, Inc, 1984: pg. 186.</ref> All of Apple's packaging for the Apple II series looked similar, featuring much clean white space and showing the Apple rainbow logo prominently.<ref>[http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/appleIIgs-wozedition/complete-system/index.html A gallery of Apple IIGS packaging] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315094318/http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/appleIIgs-wozedition/complete-system/index.html |date=March 15, 2006 }} from DigiBarn</ref> For several years up until the late 1980s, Apple used the [[Apple typography#Motter Tektura|Motter Tektura]] font for packaging, until changing to the [[Typography and logography of Apple Computer#Apple Garamond|Apple Garamond]] font.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dormehl |first1=Luke |title=The Apple Revolution: Steve Jobs, the Counterculture and How the Crazy Ones Took over the World |date=2012 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-1-4481-3136-5 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=640f7JNTX0kC&pg=PA87 |access-date=February 25, 2022 |archive-date=February 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225025805/https://books.google.com/books?id=640f7JNTX0kC&pg=PA87 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bierut |first1=Michael |title=Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design |date=2012 |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-1-61689-071-1 |page=140 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YxhkfQeC4_kC&pg=PA140 |chapter=I Hate ITC Garamond |access-date=February 25, 2022 |archive-date=February 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225025756/https://books.google.com/books?id=YxhkfQeC4_kC&pg=PA140 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Apple ran the first advertisement for the Apple II, a two-page spread ad titled "Introducing Apple II", in ''[[BYTE]]'' in July 1977.<ref name="byte198509">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1985-09/1985_09_BYTE_10-09_Homebrewing#page/n181/mode/2up | title=A Microcomputing Timeline | work=BYTE | date=September 1985 | access-date=October 27, 2013 | author1=Williams, Gregg | author2=Welch, Mark | author3=Avis, Paul | pages=198 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403220658/https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1985-09/1985_09_BYTE_10-09_Homebrewing#page/n181/mode/2up | archive-date=April 3, 2014 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> The first brochure, was entitled "Simplicity" and the copy in both the ad and brochure pioneered "demystifying" language intended to make the new idea of a home computer more "personal." The Apple II introduction ad was later run in the September 1977 issue of ''[[Scientific American]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=1984.txt|title=Folklore.org: 1984|website=www.folklore.org|access-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115184456/http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=1984.txt|archive-date=January 15, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Apple later aired eight television commercials for the Apple II<small>GS</small>, emphasizing its benefits to education and students, along with some print ads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/AppleMovies/movies9.html |title=<nowiki>Apple //gs</nowiki> Commercials QuickTime Movies @ The Apple Collection |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524200043/http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/AppleMovies/movies9.html |archive-date=May 24, 2006 }}</ref>

==Clones==
{{Main|Apple II clones}}
The Apple II was frequently cloned, both in the United States and abroad, in a similar way to the IBM PC. According to some sources (see below), more than 190 different models of [[List of Apple II clones|Apple II clones]] were manufactured.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-27 |title=12-The Apple II Abroad / Clones |url=https://www.apple2history.org/history/ah12/ |access-date=2022-05-02 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513011917/https://www.apple2history.org/history/ah12/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Most could not be legally imported into the United States.<ref name="mitchell19830906">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gn0hAAAAIBAJ&pg=5584%2C3561802 | title=A summer-CES report | work=Boston Phoenix | date=1983-09-06 | access-date=10 January 2015 | author=Mitchell, Peter W. | pages=4 | archive-date=February 9, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209104106/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gn0hAAAAIBAJ&pg=5584%2C3561802 | url-status=live }}</ref> Apple sued and sought criminal charges against clone makers in more than a dozen countries.<ref name="caruso19840123">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 | title=Customs officials seize 400 fake Apple Computers | work=InfoWorld | date=1984-01-23 | access-date=9 February 2015 | author=Caruso, Denise | pages=17 | archive-date=September 15, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915140402/https://books.google.com/books?id=fC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Data storage==
===Cassette===
Originally the Apple II used [[Compact Cassette (data)|Compact Cassette]] tapes for program and data storage. A dedicated tape recorder along the lines of the [[Commodore Datasette]] was never produced; Apple recommended using the [[Panasonic]] RQ309 in some of its early printed documentation. The uses of common consumer cassette recorders and a standard video monitor or television set (with a third-party [[RF modulator]]) made the total cost of owning an Apple II less expensive and helped contribute to the Apple II's success.

Cassette storage may have been inexpensive, but it was also slow and unreliable. The Apple II's lack of a disk drive was "a glaring weakness" in what was otherwise intended to be a polished, professional product. Recognizing that the II needed a disk drive to be taken seriously, Apple set out to develop a disk drive and a DOS to run it. Wozniak spent the 1977 Christmas holidays designing a disk controller that reduced the number of chips used by a factor of 10 compared to existing controllers. Still lacking a DOS, and with Wozniak inexperienced in operating system design, Jobs approached Shepardson Microsystems with the project. On April 10, 1978, Apple signed a contract for $13,000 with Shepardson to develop the DOS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnet.com/news/the-untold-story-behind-apples-13000-operating-system/|title=The untold story behind Apple's $13,000 operating system|date=April 3, 2013|website=cnet.com|access-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106070050/https://www.cnet.com/news/the-untold-story-behind-apples-13000-operating-system/|archive-date=November 6, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Even after disk drives made the [[cassette tape interface]]s obsolete they were still used by enthusiasts as simple one-bit audio input-output ports. Ham radio operators used the cassette input to receive slow scan TV (single frame images). A commercial speech recognition Blackjack program was available, after some user-specific voice training it would recognize simple commands (Hit, stand). Bob Bishop's "Music Kaleidoscope" was a simple program that monitored the cassette input port and based on zero-crossings created color patterns on the screen, a predecessor to current audio visualization plug-ins for media players. Music Kaleidoscope was especially popular on projection TV sets in dance halls.

===The OS Disk===
Apple and many third-party developers made software available on tape at first, but after the Disk II became available in 1978, tape-based Apple II software essentially disappeared from the market. The initial price of the Disk II drive and controller was US$595, although a $100 off coupon was available through the Apple newsletter "Contact". The controller could handle two drives and a second drive (without controller) retailed for $495.

The Disk II single-sided floppy drive used 5.25-inch [[floppy disk]]s; double-sided disks could be used, one side at a time, by turning them over and notching a hole for the write protect sensor. The first [[disk operating system]]s for the {{nowrap|Apple II}} were {{nowrap|[[Apple DOS|DOS 3.1]]}} and DOS&nbsp;3.2, which stored 113.75&nbsp;KB on each disk, organized into 35 tracks of 13 256-byte sectors each. After about two years, DOS&nbsp;3.3 was introduced, storing 140&nbsp;KB thanks to a minor firmware change on the disk controller that allowed it to store 16 sectors per track. (This upgrade was user-installable as two PROMs on older controllers.) After the release of DOS&nbsp;3.3, the user community discontinued use of {{nowrap|DOS 3.2}} except for running legacy software. Programs that required DOS&nbsp;3.2 were fairly rare; however, as DOS&nbsp;3.3 was not a major architectural change aside from the number of sectors per track, a program called MUFFIN was provided with DOS&nbsp;3.3 to allow users to copy files from DOS&nbsp;3.2 disks to DOS&nbsp;3.3 disks. It was possible for software developers to create a DOS&nbsp;3.2 disk which would also boot on a system with {{nowrap|DOS 3.3}} firmware.

Later, double-sided drives, with heads to read both sides of the disk, became available from third-party companies. (Apple only produced double-sided 5.25-inch disks for the Lisa 1 computer).

On a DOS 3.x disk, tracks 0, 1, and most of track 2 were reserved to store the operating system. (It was possible, with a special utility, to reclaim most of this space for data if a disk did not need to be bootable.) A short ROM program on the disk controller had the ability to seek to track zero{{snd}} which it did without regard for the read/write head's current position, resulting in the characteristic "chattering" sound of a Disk II boot, which was the read/write head hitting the rubber stop block at the end of the rail – and read and execute code from sector 0. The code contained in there would then pull in the rest of the operating system. DOS stored the disk's directory on track 17, smack in the middle of the 35-track disks, in order to reduce the average [[seek time]] to the frequently used directory track. The directory was fixed in size and could hold a maximum of 105 files. Subdirectories were not supported.

Most game publishers did not include DOS on their floppy disks, since they needed the memory it occupied more than its capabilities; instead, they often wrote their own boot loaders and read-only file systems. This also served to discourage "crackers" from snooping around in the game's copy-protection code, since the data on the disk was not in files that could be accessed easily.

Some third-party manufacturers produced floppy drives that could write 40 tracks to most 5.25-inch disks, yielding 160&nbsp;KB of storage per disk, but the format did not catch on widely, and no known commercial software was published on 40-track media. Most drives, even Disk IIs, could write 36 tracks; a two byte modification to DOS to format the extra track was common.

The Apple Disk II stored 140&nbsp;KB on single-sided, "single-density" floppy disks, but it was very common for Apple II users to extend the capacity of a single-sided floppy disk to 280&nbsp;KB by cutting out a second write-protect notch on the side of the disk using a "disk notcher" or hole puncher and inserting the disk flipped over. Double-sided disks, with notches on both sides, were available at a higher price, but in practice the magnetic coating on the reverse of nominally single-sided disks was usually of good enough quality to be used (both sides were coated in the same way to prevent warping, although only one side was certified for use). Early on, diskette manufacturers routinely warned that this technique would damage the read/write head of the drives or wear out the disk faster, and these warnings were frequently repeated in magazines of the day. In practice, however, this method was an inexpensive way to store twice as much data for no extra cost, and was widely used for commercially released floppies as well.

Later, Apple IIs were able to use 3.5-inch disks with a total capacity of 800&nbsp;KB and hard disks. {{nowrap|DOS 3.3}} did not support these drives natively; third-party software was required, and disks larger than about 400&nbsp;KB had to be split up into multiple "virtual disk volumes."

DOS 3.3 was succeeded by [[Apple ProDOS|ProDOS]], a 1983 descendant of the Apple ///'s SOS. It added support for subdirectories and volumes up to 32&nbsp;MB in size. ProDOS became the {{nowrap|Apple II}} DOS of choice; [[AppleWorks]] and other newer programs required it.

==Legacy==
[[File:Apple II Europlus Tietokonemuseo.JPG|thumb|Apple II Europlus computer with Scandinavian keyboard layout in [[Helsinki]]'s computer and game console museum]]

The Apple II series of computers had an enormous impact on the technology industry and expanded the role of microcomputers in society. The Apple II was the first personal computer many people ever saw. Its price was within the reach of many middle-class families, and a partnership with [[MECC]] helped make the Apple II popular in schools.<ref name="lussenhop20110119">{{cite news|last=Lussenhop |first=Jessica |title=Oregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its path |url=http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/1740595/ |access-date=January 20, 2011 |newspaper=City Pages |date=January 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206102726/http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/1740595/ |archive-date=February 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By the end of 1980 Apple had already sold over 100,000 Apple IIs,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sy8vejqbcocC&q=apple+IIe+educational+sales&pg=RA1-PA19|title=Essentials of Strategic Management By Charles Hill, Gareth Jones|isbn=978-0-547-19432-5|last1=Hill|first1=Charles|last2=Jones|first2=Gareth|date=October 13, 2008|publisher=Cengage Learning |access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=September 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915140457/https://books.google.com/books?id=Sy8vejqbcocC&q=apple+IIe+educational+sales&pg=RA1-PA19|url-status=live}}</ref> and at the introduction of the II<small>GS</small>, {{nowrap|3 million}} models in the range had been sold. However, in other markets, the range saw rather more limited adoption, with only 120,000 units selling in the UK over this nine-year period.<ref name="practicalcomputing198611_iigs">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/practical-computing/PracticalComputing-1986-11/page/62/mode/2up | title=Apple IIGS Best of Both Worlds | magazine=Practical Computing | last1=Moody | first1=Glyn | date=November 1986 | access-date=16 July 2024 | pages=62–64 }}</ref>

The Apple II's popularity bootstrapped the [[Personal computer game|computer game]] and [[educational software]] markets and began the boom in the [[word processor]] and [[computer printer]] markets. The first spreadsheet application, [[VisiCalc]],<ref>{{Cite book |author=((United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of Justice)) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2ckdERaPukC&q=%22the+first+spreadsheet%22&pg=PA762|title=Computers and Intellectual Property: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, First and Second Sessions, November 8, 1989, and March 7, 1990|date=1991|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|language=en|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=April 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418211317/https://books.google.com/books?id=l2ckdERaPukC&q=%22the+first+spreadsheet%22&pg=PA762|url-status=live}}</ref> was initially released for the Apple II, and many businesses bought them just to run VisiCalc. Its success drove [[IBM]] in part to create the [[IBM PC]], which many businesses purchased to run spreadsheet and word processing software, at first ported from Apple II versions.

The Apple II's slots, allowing any peripheral card to take control of the bus and directly access memory, enabled an independent industry of card manufacturers who together created a flood of hardware products that let users build systems that were far more powerful and useful (at a lower cost) than any competing system, most of which were not nearly as expandable and were universally proprietary. The first peripheral card was a blank prototyping card intended for electronics enthusiasts who wanted to design their own peripherals for the Apple II.

Specialty peripherals kept the Apple II in use in industry and education environments<ref>{{cite news |title=Another Apple I Lab Bites the Dust |url=https://www.wired.com/2006/03/another-apple-i/ |access-date=18 July 2025 |date=30 March 2006}}</ref> for many years after Apple Computer stopped supporting the Apple II. Well into the 1990s every clean-room (the super-clean facility where spacecraft are prepared for flight) at the Kennedy Space Center used an Apple II to monitor the environment and air quality.<ref>{{cite web |title=Apple II Plus |url=https://igotoffer.com/apple/apple-ii-plus |website=igotoffer.com |publisher=igotoffer.com |access-date=18 July 2025}}</ref> Most planetariums used Apple IIs to control their projectors and other equipment.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Peltz |first=William H. |date=1989 |title=Review of Designing Blueprints for Green Plants Apple II series |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24141666 |journal=The Science Teacher |volume=56 |issue=7 |pages=64–68 |jstor=24141666 |issn=0036-8555 |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214061626/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24141666 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Even the game port was unusually powerful and could be used for digital and analog input and output. The early manuals included instructions for how to build a circuit with only four commonly available components (one transistor and three resistors) and a software routine to drive a common [[Teletype Model 33]] machine. [[Don Lancaster]] used the game port [[I/O]] to drive a [[LaserWriter]] printer.

===Modern use===
Today, [[Apple II emulators|emulators]] for various Apple II models are available to run Apple II software on [[macOS]], [[Linux]], [[Microsoft Windows]], homebrew enabled [[Nintendo DS]] and other operating systems. Numerous [[disk image]]s of Apple II software are available free over the Internet for use with these emulators. [[AppleWin]] and [[Multi Emulator Super System|MESS]] are among the best emulators compatible with most Apple II images. The MESS emulator supports recording and playing back of Apple II emulation sessions, as does Home Action Replay Page (a.k.a. HARP).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homeactionreplay.org/search.php?tourney=36|title=Home Action Replay Page|website=www.homeactionreplay.org|access-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121123/http://www.homeactionreplay.org/search.php?tourney=36|archive-date=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

There is still a small annual convention, [[KansasFest]], dedicated to the platform.

In 2017, the band [[8 Bit Weapon]] released the world's first 100% Apple II-based music album entitled, "Class Apples". The album featured dance-oriented cover versions of classical music by Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart recorded directly off the Apple II motherboard.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://8bitweapon.com/2017/07/22/historic-apple-ii-album-released/|title=Historic Apple II Album Released!|date=July 22, 2017|website=8bitweapon.com|access-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010005609/https://8bitweapon.com/2017/07/22/historic-apple-ii-album-released/|archive-date=October 10, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

{{Timeline of Apple II family}}

==See also==
*[[Apple Industrial Design Group]]
*[[List of publications and periodicals devoted to the Apple II]]
*[[Apple II peripheral cards]]
*[[Apple II graphics]]
*[[List of Apple II application software]]
*[[List of Apple II games]]
*[[List of Apple IIGS games|List of Apple II<small>GS</small> games]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
*{{cite news|last=Wozniak|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Wozniak|title=System Description: The Apple II|work=[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]|date=May 1977|url=http://oldcomputers.net/byteappleII.html|access-date=September 17, 2008|archive-date=May 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516110213/http://oldcomputers.net/byteappleII.html|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

*[http://www.epocalc.net/php/liste_models.php?texte=apple+2+clone&look=All+fields epocalc] Apple II clones list
*"[http://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-of-apples-first-employees-2013-12 These Pictures Of Apple's First Employees Are Absolutely Wonderful]", contains a c.1977 photograph taken inside Apple of early employees [[Chrisann Brennan]], Mark Johnson, and Robert Martinengo standing in front of a stack of Apple IIs that they had tested, assembled, and were about to ship (''[[Business Insider]]'', December 26, 2013).

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}
{{Apple hardware}}
{{Woz}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apple Ii Series}}
[[Category:Apple II computers|Apple II computers]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1977]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 1993]]
[[Category:Discontinued Apple Inc. products]]
[[Category: 65xx-based computers]]