The Apple III and Apple III Plus are vintage computers developed by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.). They were designed as business-oriented personal computers, marking Apple’s first attempt to enter the business market, which was dominated at the time by IBM and its clones.
Apple III (Released in 1980)
- Development: Led by Wendell Sander and developed under the code name “Sara.”
- Features: The Apple III was built to be more powerful than its predecessor, the Apple II. It featured a more robust operating system, a higher resolution display, and more expandable memory.
- Specifications:
- Processor: Synertek 6502A or B running at 2 MHz.
- RAM: Initially 128 KB, expandable to 256 KB.
- Storage: Utilized 5.25-inch floppy disks, with an optional external hard drive.
- Issues: The Apple III faced significant reliability issues, mainly due to its lack of a cooling fan, which led to overheating and hardware failures.
Apple III Plus (Released in 1983)
- Improvements: The Apple III Plus was released to address the hardware issues of the original Apple III. It included a revised motherboard, a built-in clock, an interlaced video mode, and a more durable keyboard.
- Specifications:
- Processor: Similar to the original Apple III.
- RAM: Came standard with 256 KB, expandable up to 512 KB.
- Storage: Same as Apple III, with improved support for external peripherals.
- Market Reception: While the Apple III Plus was more reliable than its predecessor, it struggled to gain significant market share due to the strong competition and Apple’s focus shifting towards the development of the Lisa and Macintosh computers.
The Apple III series was eventually discontinued in 1984, following the launch of the more successful Apple Macintosh. Despite its commercial challenges, the Apple III and III Plus were important steps in Apple’s evolution, particularly in their attempt to create a more business-oriented computer.
