Apple ///
| Description | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer Co. |
| Model | Apple /// |
| Date Announced | 1980 |
| Date Canceled | 1983 |
| Number Produced | Fewer then 100,000 |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Price | $4,000+ |
| Current Value | $50-$250 |
| Specifications | --- |
| Processor | MOS 6502 |
| Speed | 1 MHz |
| RAM | 128-512K |
| ROM | Unknown |
| Storage | |
| Expansion | 4 expansion slots on the motherboard |
| Bus | Apple |
| Video | |
| I/O | Parallel, Serial |
| OS Options | SOS, CP/M with a Z80 card, Older Apple DOS supported |
| Notes | The Apple /// had three revisions. The first was introduced in 1980 and was rife with problems. Apple fixed most of those and added RAM for a second coming of the Apple ///. Eventually the model was upgraded (in 1983) with some more RAM, a different keyboard and a few other features as the Apple /// Plus. |
| Related Items in Collection | Apple /// external disk drive, ProFile Hard Drive, software, manuals. Other Apple systems including Apple II Plus, Apple //c, etc. |
| Related Items Wanted | Additional Apple /// specific software and manuals. |
Apple Computer introduced the Apple /// in 1980 as a business system to compliment the Apple ][+. With the Apple /// Apple increased the available RAM to 128k and released a new operating system, the "Sophisticated Operating System (SOS), that was more user friendly and advanced then Apple DOS.
In the end the Apple /// was mostly a failure due to a high price tag and several bugs that plagued the initial release. Subsequent versions of the machine included an Apple /// with 256k of RAM and an Apple ///+ with a new keyboard and a few more enhancements.
The introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in 1981 conspired with the Apple ///'s quality issues to ensure the lines demise. Apple pulled the plug on the Apple /// in 1983.
The Apple /// in my collection is one of the revised 256k models with most of the initial bugs worked out. It includes the Apple /// monitor, an external disk drive and a Profile 5MB hard drive. The Profile seems to be operational but I am unfortunately missing the Profile device drivers so the Apple doesn't know it exists.
The Apple /// shipped with a bunch of software. These are many of the Apple /// programs I have for the machine.
It was fairly common for Apple users to add a CP/M card to their machines to access the huge CP/M software base that existed at the time. This is a Microsoft CP/M card for the Apple ///.
The Profile hard drive requires this interface card to talk to the Apple.
I acquired another Apple /// (3/2004) in significantly better cosmetic condition then my first one. The new one has almost no yellowing on the case and is cleaner overall. It also came with pretty much every original manual as well as a bunch of original Apple software.