For $241,000 (£196,000), you can get a fully-functional Apple 1 computer.
The “wonderful” gadget, which is hand-numbered by Apple founder Steve Jobs, includes “all necessary components and accessories.”
Bidding is currently at $241,557 and will conclude on December 15; nevertheless, auctioneers anticipate a final selling price of £375,000.
Apple’s first product, the Apple 1 (introduced in 1976), was marketed as a completed circuit board and lacked basic amenities such as a keyboard or monitor.
In contrast to the majority of known Apple-1 computers, this “sought-after” unit’s hardware board has not been altered, and the prototype is “clean and unused.”
The equipment is currently being offered by RR Auction, a Boston-based auction firm.
The most surprising part of this Apple-1 computer, according to the auction firm, is that it is documented to be completely functional.
During a full test, the system performed faultlessly for almost eight hours.
The item includes the original Apple-1 board, handwritten with the stock number 01-00002 by Steve Jobs.
On the board’s left side are the words “Apple Computer 1, Palo Alto, California Copyright 1976.”
The ‘discrete’ dates on the computer’s components correspond to other known Apple-1 boards of a similar era, which were produced and sold by Apple in the fall of 1976 and the beginning of 1977.
Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen has confirmed the machine as an authentic original by restoring it to its original working condition.
Apple-1 operation manual, ASCII keyboard, Sanyo 4205 video monitor, and Apple-1 cassette interface are also included (ACI).
The transaction will also include a full letter of authenticity for the handwriting on the board by Steve Jobs.
Apple-1 was the first product developed by Jobs and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and released in 1976.
Approximately 175 of 200 Apple-1 computers were sold for $666.66 apiece (approximately $3,126 today).
Apple-1 was planned as a kit to be offered to electronics amateurs and members of the Palo Alto Homebrew Computer Club, a Menlo Park, California computer group.
Jobs called Paul Terrell, proprietor of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first personal computer retailers, to reach a bigger audience.
To elevate the computer beyond the world of hobbyists, Terrell agreed to acquire 50 Apple-1 computers on the condition that they are completely constructed.
Apple-1 was one of the first “personal” computers that did not require soldering by the end user due to this requirement.
Jobs and Wozniak developed and sold approximately 175 Apple-1 computers over the course of approximately ten months.
The Apple-1 paved the way for the development of the more advanced Apple II, which debuted in early 1977 and had a plastic case with an integrated keyboard.
Apple Computer’s annual income increased from $774k to $118 million in just three years due to the sales of the Apple II and its accessories and software.
Now, early Apple items command hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.
Apple Computer A, the prototype for Apple-1, was sold by RR Auction earlier this year for $677,196 (more than £550,000).
The ‘unique’ and ‘historic’ object is just a circuit board covered with chips and wires, with the words ‘Apple Computer A 76’ imprinted on it.
In March 2020, another functional Apple-1 model sold at auction in Boston for $458,711 (about £335,00).
