When Apple Computer was formed on April 1, 1976, no one could have forecast what would happen in the next 40 years. The concept of “personal/home computers” seemed beyond hopeful to many and ludicrous to most. But Steves Wozniak and Jobs, with a little financial help from Mike Markkula (who lent them credibility by cosigning a $250k loan), pressed on, crushing rivals Commodore and Tandy, and eventually piquing the attention of powerhouse IBM. By 1984, just three years after it entered the personal computer market, IBM PCs were outselling Apples by more than two-to-one, and the great rivalry between platforms had begun. Read more