# Apple Computer 1 > Markdown version of https://brajeshwar.com/2024/apple-computer-1/ — 2024-04-11 Apple Computer 1 The [Apple Computer 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_I) (Apple-1), later known predominantly as the Apple I, is an 8-bit motherboard-only personal computer designed by [Steve Wozniak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wozniak) and released by [Apple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.) on April 11, 1976. Production was discontinued on September 30, 1977. The Apple I was one of the first computers available that used the inexpensive MOS Technology 6502[^MOSTechnology6502] microprocessor. An expansion included a BASIC interpreter, allowing users to utilize BASIC at home instead of at institutions with mainframe computers, greatly lowering the entry cost for computing with BASIC. The Apple I did not come with a case. It could be used bare, though some users chose to build custom (typically wooden) enclosures. [^MOSTechnology6502]: The [MOS Technology 6502](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6502) is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by a small team led by Chuck Peddle for MOS Technology. The design team had formerly worked at Motorola on the Motorola 6800 project; the 6502 is essentially a simplified, less expensive and faster version of that design. When it was introduced in 1975, the 6502 was the least expensive microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin.