Why Does the 6502 Matter?

Arguably the MOS 6502 processor was really no better than Motorola 6800 that was its direct predecessor, and why would you buy the most important part of your computer from a calculator chip company like MOS Technologies instead of a more stable company like Motorola?

The answer is clear.  $25  The 6502 was merely 1/6th the cost of a Motorola 6800.

Think about it.  Without this low price, Steve Wozniak would not have produced the Apple I and Apple II computers as we know them, and Commodore could not have produced the PET, VIC-20, C64, etc.  The Atari VCS and Nintendo NES would never have existed.

The home computer market would have evolved more slowly and in a completely different direction.