How Much Did the Apple III Cost in 1980?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Apple III price started at $4,340 when it was released in late November 1980. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $17,103 in September 2026 money, roughly 3.9 times the original price.
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Apple III at a glance
- US launch price
- $4,340
- In today’s money
- ≈ $17,103November 1980 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- November 1, 1980
- Where the company was based
- Cupertino, United StatesMade by Apple Computer, based in Cupertino, California, and designed by Apple engineer Wendell Sander.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- en.wikipedia.org
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
Apple III prices
The Apple III started at $4,340, and a fully loaded system cost as much as $7,800. That made it more expensive than many of the CP/M business computers on sale at the time. Apple’s 5MB ProFile hard disk cost another $3,499.
For the money you got a full typewriter-style keyboard with upper and lower case letters, a numeric keypad, an 80-column display, a built-in floppy disk drive and up to 256KB of memory.
The Apple III price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 1980. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Apple III price of $4,340 works out at about $17,103 in September 2026 money, around 3.9 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Apple III sells for second-hand.
When was the Apple III released?
- Announced: May 19, 1980
- Released: late November 1980
- Reintroduced after a recall: November 9, 1981
- Apple III Plus: December 1983, at $2,995
- Discontinued: April 24, 1984 (the Plus in September 1985)
Who made the Apple III?
Apple Computer, based in Cupertino, California, built it as a business computer to follow the Apple II. It was designed by Apple engineer Wendell Sander. Apple’s managers hoped business buyers would move to the Apple III, and expected Apple II sales to stop within six months.
Why did the Apple III fail?
Serious stability problems forced Apple to recall the first 14,000 machines, and the damage to its reputation was done before it was relaunched in 1981. Very little software was written for it: fewer than 50 programs were made specially for the Apple III.
About 75,000 were sold, or around 120,000 including the Apple III Plus. Steve Wozniak said the main reason it failed was that it was designed by Apple’s marketing department, not its engineers.
Apple III facts you might not know
- Its operating system was called SOS, pronounced “apple sauce”.
- You could switch between the QWERTY and Dvorak keyboard layouts.
- Its failure led Apple to keep the Apple II going, and later Apple II models borrowed some Apple III technology.
Frequently asked questions
How much did the Apple III cost?
The Apple III started at $4,340 when it was released in November 1980. A fully equipped system cost up to $7,800.
How much is $4,340 from 1980 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Apple III’s $4,340 starting price is about $17,103 in September 2026 money.
Why was the Apple III recalled?
Serious stability problems led Apple to recall the first 14,000 machines and relaunch it in November 1981.
How many Apple III computers were sold?
About 75,000, or around 120,000 including the later Apple III Plus.
Want to compare the Apple III price with other launch prices? See what the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.