Apple II/III · The Garage Era · 1980
Apple III
Apple’s first flop. Designed by committee, the III ran so hot in its fanless case that chips popped out. The official fix was to lift the machine and drop it to reseat them.
Apple’s first business machine with a real OS (SOS) and 80-column text.
Apple IIe (1983)
Apple III: key facts
When was the Apple III released?
The Apple III arrived in November 1980. Apple discontinued it in April 1984.
How much did the Apple III cost?
The Apple III launched at $4,340 in 1980, about $16,666 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Synertek 6502A at 1.8 MHz, 128 KB RAM, 5 MB storage, 80-column text, 560×192 display.
Why does the Apple III matter?
Apple’s first business machine with a real OS (SOS) and 80-column text.
Full specifications
| CPU | Synertek 6502A · 1.8 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 128 KB (up to 512 KB) |
| Storage | 5 MB |
| Display | 80-column text, 560×192 |
| GPU | Enhanced 6502 video |
| Ports | Floppy, ProFile HDD, RS-232 |
| Weight | 11.8 kg |
| Dimensions | Integrated case |
| Operating system | Apple SOS |
| Released | November 1980 |
| Discontinued | April 1984 |
| Launch price | $4,340 |
How the Apple III compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 131,000× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.8 MHz, the clock is roughly 1,780× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage could hold roughly one modern phone photo.
Launched at $4,340 in 1980, about $16,666 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
Jobs insisted on no fan for quietness; the heat tanked the III’s reputation.
Related Apple II/III models
Open the Apple III in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11