Artifact of the Month with MOTAL: Part 2

As part of our partnership with the Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL), we've been able to objects from our collection through MOTAL's Artifact of the Month Program. You can read our second article here!

Artifact of the Month: The Apple II

In the early 1970s, personal computers were mostly owned by a small number of computer and technology specialists. The first personal computers were typically sold as do-it-yourself kits like the Altair 8800 (pictured below), and were more often appealing to electronics enthusiasts than to everyday people. However, innovators committed to making computers accessible created increasingly efficient and intuitive technology. Simultaneously, computers became less expensive to mass-produce which encouraged technology companies to focus on the mass marketability of personal computers. The introduction of easy-to-use, affordable personal computers ensured the commercial success of these machines.

As more people bought personal computers, more technology companies built machines that could perform a variety of tasks. Increasing flexibility and customizability was important in showing the ways in which computers could change people’s lives. In 1977, Apple released the Apple II—the first computer with color graphics—and transformed people’s perception of the possibilities for computers. Users of personal computers liked color displays and high-quality sound because these features allowed them to tailor the computer to their needs. Teachers in the late 1970s, like MOTAL’s own Greta Nagel, were thrilled to have access to these remarkably learner-friendly machines in their classroom. Greta recalls: 

“I ran a reading lab as a specialist in a Title I school when the Apple II came out, and we had four computers to use as a learning center. The computer was friendly and forgiving. It was patient and gave immediate feedback. If the student got something wrong, there was an instant opportunity to try again and get it right.”

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Apple II was that it was the first personal computer with color graphics, which the company advertised with a redesigned color logo (pictured below).  This computer was also notable because it was easily customizable depending on the user’s needs. In particular, the software that came with the computer made it useful for business people, reaffirming the potential that personal computers had for transforming the workplace. Color graphics also cemented Apple’s reputation as the preferred computer for graphic artists.

In 1979 Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston introduced VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet, for the Apple II. The application was hugely popular and exponentially increased sales of the Apple II. The VisiCalc was a true game-changer in the industry and paved the way for today’s electronic spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel.

Last year, the Paul Gray Personal Computing Museum hosted the inventor of VisiCalc, Dan Bricklin, as part of our speaker series Decoding the Past: Conversations with PC Innovators.