June 1, 1978: Apple releases one of the company’s most important peripherals, the Disk II floppy disk drive, which solves the Apple II’s low-memory problem.
Shugart Associates created the 5 1/4-inch floppy disk, which made it possible to use it in personal computers. The Disk II drive, conceived by Steve Wozniak, has allowed the company to take a significant step forward in the world of technology by providing users with an easier way to access a computer and a way to store it.
Mike Markkula gave Wozniak two weeks in late 1977 to build the drive and run the prototype. Randy Wigginton, an early Apple employee, agreed to help develop the necessary software for the Disk II. They worked every day, except for December 25, and managed to create a demo copy for the CES exhibition in Las Vegas. Although there were some oddities here too: when they tried to create a backup copy, they accidentally erased the demo disk, but the debut was successful.
Disk II becomes a hit for Apple
The release of the Disk II drive in June proved to be a huge success for the company as it boosted sales of the Apple II. In addition, its production turned out to be incredibly profitable, since the cost of components was only $140, and Apple sold the drive for $595. Even at that price, the Disk II was the most affordable floppy drive sold by a computer company.
The Disk II marked the end of the era of unique individuals at Apple, as the Apple I and Apple II computers were devices primarily designed by Wozniak as part of a team of two. After that, Apple began to focus on teamwork, which at the initial stage, in the case of the Apple III, turned into a disaster.
Apple released six variants of the Disk II line during the life of the Apple II: Disk II, Disk III, DuoDisk, Disk IIc, UniDisk 5.25, and Apple 5.25 Drive. Some versions of the drive continued to ship with Apple computers until 1998.
The post Apple II computer gets its first Disk II drive appeared first on Gamingsym.