December 26, 1981: Apple III+ Introduced

If you spend time looking over the history of Apple hardware introductions, you'll note that very few products are introduced in December. That shouldn't be taken to mean that Apple has never introduced a product in December, but rather that it is very rare.

The one exception to the rule concerned the Apple III. The original Apple III was, by all accounts, a horrible computer. Not only was its design compromised by the demands of Steve Jobs, but the computer was hobbled by a clock chip that couldn't keep time.

Apple decided to redress these issues with a revised machine that addressed the most serious failings of the Apple III. The company had little choice; the machine was a laughingstock. Apple's sole December release date of a revised computer model came in December of 1981.