"The first 1000 or so Apple II s shipped with a 60 page mimeographed "Apple II Mini Manual" bound with brass paper fasteners. This was the basis for the Apple II Reference Manual (a/k/a Red book) which was published in January 1978. All existing customers who sent in their warranty cards were sent free copies of the Red Book." See Wikipedia Apple II section Industry Impact http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_series
Early APPLE II Mini Manual Green not the earlier red one : Contents include 1) Getting started with your Apple II board 2) Software 3) Hardware 4) Demo Tape Program Listing. Basically all the info needed to get your kit up and going. Then some simple BASIC programs such as pong with bricks etc. Obviously this is early and therefore; quite rare. It offers a first person glimpse into the embryonic stage of what would one day be the largest Company in America.
The origin of the Green Mini Manual is referenced here in: Apple II History: The Story of the "Most Personal Computer"
"Documentation for the Apple II was initially very limited. Steve Wozniak had some handwritten notes from the summer and fall of 1977 that were assembled into a document that later became known as the “Woz Wonderbook”. It was used internally as a reference by Apple employees. To provide some sort of documentation for customers, Apple’s president, Mike Scott, had gone through desk drawers at night to find anything that looked like technical information about the computer, whether typed or handwritten. [[]B]These [/B]notes, about thirty pages in all (some of which were included in the Woz Wonderbook) were photocopied, three-hole punched, and assembled in clear binders. This mini-manual was dropped in the box with each of the earliest Apple II computers that were sold. [/B]The cover was a reproduction of one of Apple’s earliest advertisements for the Apple II. It stated, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication: introducing Apple ][, the personal computer.”
In early 1978 these original photocopied manuals were replaced with the new Apple II Reference Manual (also known as the “Red Book”), and copies were mailed to previous customers. However, the material was essentially the same as the mini-manual, just with a red cover. Steve Jobs realized that people often viewed the quality of a product by the quality of its documentation, and so he wanted Apple to have manuals that were easy to read and had a professional appearance.[14] Employees Jef Raskin and Brian Howard wrote the first Integer BASIC manual, and Raskin agreed that a proper reference manual was needed for the Apple II. He assigned Chris Espinosa the task of converting the material in the Red Book into a full fledged manual. During his fall semester at Berkley in 1978, Espinosa wrote the manual, and then used a typesetting program on the Berkley UNIX system to create that first manual.[15]" See Apple II History: The Story of the "Most Personal Computer"
Additionally, we have a co-founder seeming obsessed with aesthetics i.e. look and feel of the object. BUT, we have a loose bound stack of sheets, yellow for contents and white for all else. Then the Mini Manual is obviously TYPEWRITTEN, does not look as though any printer was used. Finally, Steve Jobs again known for being environmentally aware, yet they do not even utilize the back side of the sheets making up the manual. And yet, this same Company has become what it has . . . COLLECTORS of Vintage Apple, this is a must have; Collectors of the Home Computing Industry - must have; HISTORIANS - a first person glimpse into the beginnings of not only an important Company but also; arguably, the infancy of the Greatest Tool man has created to date.
Based on appearance, rather sloppy etc, there were obviously not a large workforce behind Apple at its creation. Heck conceivable that Jobs or Wozniak themselves copied and compiled these early manuals. HERE IT IS A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME TO OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY.
The SPOTS on the plastic front cover appear to be wax. They are not on / NOR do they affect the paper in any manner. I have not attempted to clean it off as I want it shown as it was after coming back into the light.
For more info on this see http://apple2history.org/history/ah04/
Any offers will be reviewed. Will post pics when or if figure out. Mike
Early APPLE II Mini Manual Green not the earlier red one : Contents include 1) Getting started with your Apple II board 2) Software 3) Hardware 4) Demo Tape Program Listing. Basically all the info needed to get your kit up and going. Then some simple BASIC programs such as pong with bricks etc. Obviously this is early and therefore; quite rare. It offers a first person glimpse into the embryonic stage of what would one day be the largest Company in America.
The origin of the Green Mini Manual is referenced here in: Apple II History: The Story of the "Most Personal Computer"
"Documentation for the Apple II was initially very limited. Steve Wozniak had some handwritten notes from the summer and fall of 1977 that were assembled into a document that later became known as the “Woz Wonderbook”. It was used internally as a reference by Apple employees. To provide some sort of documentation for customers, Apple’s president, Mike Scott, had gone through desk drawers at night to find anything that looked like technical information about the computer, whether typed or handwritten. [[]B]These [/B]notes, about thirty pages in all (some of which were included in the Woz Wonderbook) were photocopied, three-hole punched, and assembled in clear binders. This mini-manual was dropped in the box with each of the earliest Apple II computers that were sold. [/B]The cover was a reproduction of one of Apple’s earliest advertisements for the Apple II. It stated, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication: introducing Apple ][, the personal computer.”
In early 1978 these original photocopied manuals were replaced with the new Apple II Reference Manual (also known as the “Red Book”), and copies were mailed to previous customers. However, the material was essentially the same as the mini-manual, just with a red cover. Steve Jobs realized that people often viewed the quality of a product by the quality of its documentation, and so he wanted Apple to have manuals that were easy to read and had a professional appearance.[14] Employees Jef Raskin and Brian Howard wrote the first Integer BASIC manual, and Raskin agreed that a proper reference manual was needed for the Apple II. He assigned Chris Espinosa the task of converting the material in the Red Book into a full fledged manual. During his fall semester at Berkley in 1978, Espinosa wrote the manual, and then used a typesetting program on the Berkley UNIX system to create that first manual.[15]" See Apple II History: The Story of the "Most Personal Computer"
Additionally, we have a co-founder seeming obsessed with aesthetics i.e. look and feel of the object. BUT, we have a loose bound stack of sheets, yellow for contents and white for all else. Then the Mini Manual is obviously TYPEWRITTEN, does not look as though any printer was used. Finally, Steve Jobs again known for being environmentally aware, yet they do not even utilize the back side of the sheets making up the manual. And yet, this same Company has become what it has . . . COLLECTORS of Vintage Apple, this is a must have; Collectors of the Home Computing Industry - must have; HISTORIANS - a first person glimpse into the beginnings of not only an important Company but also; arguably, the infancy of the Greatest Tool man has created to date.
Based on appearance, rather sloppy etc, there were obviously not a large workforce behind Apple at its creation. Heck conceivable that Jobs or Wozniak themselves copied and compiled these early manuals. HERE IT IS A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME TO OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY.
The SPOTS on the plastic front cover appear to be wax. They are not on / NOR do they affect the paper in any manner. I have not attempted to clean it off as I want it shown as it was after coming back into the light.
For more info on this see http://apple2history.org/history/ah04/
Any offers will be reviewed. Will post pics when or if figure out. Mike
