Uncommon Apple III personal computer released by Apple Computer in November 1980. The underside bears an affixed Apple Computer label checked “128K” with serial number "A3S1-029425,” and the backside features an on/off switch and various ports for power supply, printer interface, floppy disk drive, and monitor outputs. Apple III built-in features include an 80-column, 24-line display with upper and lowercase characters, a numeric keypad, dual-speed (pressure-sensitive) cursor control keys, 6-bit (DAC) audio, and a built-in 140-kilobyte 5.25-inch floppy disk drive. Included with the computer is an Apple Disk III (Serial No. A3M0004-02729), a sealed Apple II Owner’s Guide, an unopened Apple Softcard III System, an Apple III Business Basic software package (with disks, manuals, and forms), and Apple III Business Basic Reference Manual (Preliminary Release). In overall fine condition.
Released with a whopping price tag orbiting $5000, the business-oriented Apple III computer, equipped with the Apple SOS operating system, seemed predestined to fail. Designed to serve as the successor to the Apple II series, the Apple III suffered from stability issues shortly after its November 1980 release, which resulted in the first 14,000 machines produced being recalled. The bugs were fixed, but the computer’s reputation was not. The Apple III was discontinued on April 24, 1984, and its last successor, the III Plus, was dropped from the Apple product line in September 1985. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak stated that the primary reason for the Apple III's failure was that the system was designed by Apple's marketing department, unlike Apple's previous engineering-driven projects.
