Apple

The formal establishment of the partnership occurred on April 1, 1976, in Los Altos, California. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs sought to market the Apple I, a single-board computer designed and hand-built by Wozniak. Ronald Wayne joined as a third partner to provide administrative oversight, though he famously withdrew his 10% stake only twelve days later for $800 (Reuters).

Initial capital for the venture was raised through the sale of personal assets, including Wozniak's HP-65 calculator and Jobs' Volkswagen Type 2 bus. The technical development of the Apple I was deeply influenced by the Homebrew Computer Club, a hobbyist group where Wozniak first demonstrated his prototype. Unlike other contemporary kits, the Apple I utilized a MOS 6502 processor and featured a unique video interface that allowed for character display on a television (Smithsonian Institution).

To fulfill an initial order of 50 units from the Byte Shop, the founders utilized the Jobs family garage as a primary assembly site. This period of informal operation concluded on January 3, 1977, when the firm was incorporated in Cupertino. The transition to a professional corporate structure was facilitated by Mike Markkula, a retired Intel executive who provided a $250,000 line of credit and essential business expertise.

The introduction of the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1977 marked a shift toward the mass market. This model featured a color display and a plastic integrated case, distinguishing it from the stark industrial aesthetics of competing machines. By 1980, the company's growth culminated in an initial public offering on December 12, which generated more capital than any IPO since Ford Motor Company in 1956 (Library of Congress).

Internal governance shifted in 1983 when John Sculley, formerly of PepsiCo, was recruited as Chief Executive Officer. This era concluded with the January 24, 1984, release of the Macintosh, the first successful mouse-driven computer with a graphical user interface. While the Macintosh achieved significant cultural visibility, its high retail price of $2,495 led to initial sales volatility and internal friction between the engineering teams and executive leadership.