April 23, 1983: Even an Improved Apple III Can’t Overcome the Reputation

by Chris Seibold Apr 23, 2011

The Apple /// was a disaster for Apple. Designed as Apple's version of a business machine, the Apple /// featured a horribly designed case that prevented proper cooling, a clock chip that didn't work, and chips that would pop out randomly. The official Apple remedy for the loosened chips was to pick the Apple /// up and drop it. The design was truly pathetic and the blame can be laid squarely at the feet of Steve Jobs. (Don't worry, he later got much better at this sort of thing).

The mistakes of the original Apple /// were addressed by the Apple ///+. The revised computer was not only much less problematic than the original but, when compared to the competition, had unassailable specs.

The value of the Apple ///+ may not have been in question but the reliability was. Thanks in no small part to the lingering smell of the original Apple ///, the Apple ///+ was avoided as though the keys were razor blades. All internal development of the Apple///+ ceased this week in 1984.

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Comments

  • But Apple continued to sell the ///+ until ‘85, right?

    R. Mansfield had this to say on Apr 23, 2010 Posts: 11

  • The Apple III is a business-oriented personal computer produced and released by Apple Computer that was intended as the successor to the Apple II series, but largely considered a failure in the market. Despite numerous stability issues and recalls, Apple was eventually able to produce a reliable and dependable version of the machine. However, damage to the computer’s reputation had already been done and it failed to do well commercially as a direct result. So disgusting! GAR Labs

    chesterfoster had this to say on Aug 21, 2011 Posts: 27
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