On June 1st, 1978, Apple introduced the world to the Apple Disk II, an external 5.25″ floppy disk drive that was specifically designed for use with the Apple II computer. This revolutionary device was created to replace the slower cassette tape storage that was commonly used by microcomputers at the time.
Before the release of the Disk II, Apple II users had to rely on cassette tapes to store and transfer data. However, this method was slow and often resulted in data loss or corruption. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was tasked with designing a new storage system for the computer after early investor and executive Mike Markkula found that a checkbook-balancing program he had written took too long to load from cassette tape.
The Disk II was a major success for Apple, selling for a starting price of $495 in pre-order. It was the cheapest floppy disk system ever sold up to that point and was immensely profitable for the company. In addition, the Disk II had nearly 20% more storage space than standard FM drives, making it an even more attractive option for Apple II users.
The Disk II was discontinued on May 1st, 1984. Today, the Apple Disk II is 46 years old and serves as a reminder of the company’s early innovations in the world of data storage. While technology has evolved significantly since then, the Disk II will always hold a special place in the history of Apple and the computer industry as a whole.
Apple Disk II Details
| Introduced | June 1, 1978 – 46 years ago |
| Discontinued | May 1, 1984 – 40 years ago |
| Time on the Market | 71 months (5 years) |
| Order Number | A2M0003 |
| Original Price | $495 Pre-order $595 Regular price |
| Colors | Beige |
System Requirements
- Apple II computer
- Macintosh computer with Apple IIe Card
Connections
| Connection | 1 – 20-pin ribbon cable connector (Optional DB-19 adapter; later was standard) |
| Ports | None |
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