Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Historical Note
Scope and Content
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Apple Computer, Inc. Records,
Date (inclusive): 1977-1998
Collection number: Special Collections M1007
Creator:
Apple Computer, Inc.
Extent:
ca. 600 linear ft.
Repository:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Abstract: Collection contains organizational charts, annual reports, company directories, internal communications, engineering reports,
design materials, press releases, manuals, public relations materials, human resource information, videotapes, audiotapes,
software, hardware, and corporate memorabilia. Also includes information regarding the Board of Directors and their decisions.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access
The hardware series of this collection is closed until it can be fully arranged and described.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item] Apple Computer, Inc. Records, M1007, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Apple Computer, Inc., 1997.
Historical Note
Apple Computer, Inc. was incorporated on January 3, 1977. Apple Computer, Inc., ignited the personal computer revolution in
the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh, of which it had sold more
30 million systems as of the end of 1998. Apple's original mission as articulated by its co-founder Steven Jobs was to bring
the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, business persons
and consumers in over 140 countries around the world. In 1998, Apple Computer, Inc. maintained Research & Development sites
in Cork, Ireland; Cupertino, California; Tokyo, Japan; and Zhuhai, China. Apple owned manufacturing facilities in the United
States, Ireland, and Singapore. Distribution facilities are located in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Singapore,
and Japan.
| 1976 |
Steve Job and Steve Wozniak create the Apple computer, which is just a circuit board and does not come with a case, keyboard,
mouse or monitor. Venture capitalist "Mike" Markkula invests $91,000 in the new company.
|
| 1977 |
The Apple II released. First personal computer with a plastic case and color graphics. |
| 1978 |
Storage peripheral on Apple II changed from cassette to disk drive. |
| 1979 |
Apple II+ released. |
| 1980 |
Apple III released. Apple has several thousand employees, no domestic unions and goes public at $22/share. |
| 1981 |
Problems with Apple III lead the company to temporarily halt production. Forty employees are laid off. Wozniak and girlfriend
injured in a plane crash. Jobs becomes chairman, "Apple Values" drafted. IBM releases its first PC.
|
| 1983 |
Apple III+, Apple IIe and Lisa released. Lisa was the first graphical-interface computer available to the public. Lisa also
comes with a mouse and a 3.5 inch disk drive. John Sculley leaves PepsiCola to run Apple. Over 200 Apple employees have become
millionaires since 1980. Apple is the youngest company to enter the Fortune 500.
|
| 1984 |
Apple IIc, Lisa 2 and Macintosh are released. The classic "1984" commercial runs during the Superbowl. |
| 1985 |
Lisa and Apple III discontinued. Lisa 2 re-released as Mac XL. Jobs resigns, Apple lays off 1200 employees and begins to look
into Microsoft's GUI development after the release of Windows 1.01.
|
| 1986 |
Apple IIgs, enhanced Apple IIc and MacPlus released. Apple achieves Fortune 200 classification. |
| 1987 |
Mac SE and Mac II released. Hypercard added to operating system. |
| 1988 |
Apple IIc+ and Mac IIx released. Apple has over 9000 employees worldwide and is doing business in 85 countries. Jobs' new
project NeXT is released.
|
| 1989 |
Mac SE/30, Mac IIcx, Mac portable and Mac IIci released. Excess Lisa computers buried in a Utah landfill. |
| 1990 |
Mac IIfx, Mac Classic, Mac LC and Mac IIsi released. IBM released Windows 3.0. |
| 1991 |
Classic II (later sold as Performa 200), Quadra 700, Quadra 900 and PowerBook 170 released. |
| 1992 |
Mac IIvx (Performa 600 and 600CD), Mac IIvi, Quadra 950 and PowerBook 160 released. |
| 1993 |
Color Classic, Color Classic II, LC III, LC III+, LC 475/ Quadra 605, LC 520, Quadra 610, Quadra 650, Quadra 800, Workgroup
Server 80, PowerBook 165, PowerBook 5300 and Newton released. Scully leaves and Michael Spindler becomes CEO of Apple. NeXT
computers are discontinued.
|
| 1994 |
LC 550, Quadra 630, PowerMac 6100 and various Performas released. |
| 1995 |
Various PowerMacs, various Performas and Duo 2300c released. Apple has $1 billion in backorders. Windows 95 released. |
| 1996 |
Various PowerMacs and Performas released. Spindler resigns and Gil Amelio becomes chairman. Apple buys NeXT and Jobs returns
to work at Apple.
|
| 1997 |
Various PowerMacs and PowerBooks released. Amelio resigns. Jobs becomes "interim" CEO and crafts an alliance with Microsoft.
Newton cancelled.
|
| 1998 |
iMac released. Apple begins to be profitable again. |
Scope and Content
Contains organizational charts, annual reports, company directories, internal communications, engineering reports, design
materials, press releases, manuals, public relations materials, human resource information, videotapes, audiotapes, software,
hardware, and corporate memorabilia. Also includes information regarding the Board of Directors and their decisions.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the
description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Amelio, Gil.
Jobs, Steven, 1955-
Sculley, John.
Wozniak, Stephen Gary, 1950-
Markkula, A.C. (Mike)
Apple Computer, Inc.
Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh Division
Apple II (Computer)
Apple IIc (Computer)
Apple IIe (Computer)
Apple II (Computer)
Apple IIc (Computer)
Apple IIe (Computer)
Apple IIGS (Computer)
Apple II Plus (Computer)
Apple III (Computer)
Apple computer--Programming.
Computer engineering.
Computer industry.
Computer software industry.
Computers.
Corporate culture.
Lisa computer.
Macintosh (Computer)
Macintosh II (Computer)
Macintosh Classic (Computer)
Macintosh SE (Computer)
Macintosh PowerBook notebook computers.