The Apple IIc is a personal computer that was introduced by Apple Inc. shortly after the launch of the original Macintosh. It was a compact and portable version of the Apple II series of computers. The IIc featured a built-in floppy disk drive and a keyboard, and was often sold with its matching monitor. The c in the name stood for compact, referring to the fact it was a complete Apple II computer setup with a floppy drive that was squeezed into a smaller notebook-sized housing. It was compatible with a wide range of software and peripherals.

The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by a small team led by Chuck Peddle for MOS Technology. The design team had formerly worked at Motorola on the Motorola 6800 project; the 6502 is essentially a simplified, less expensive and faster version of that design.