Meet the Apple-1 computer which is currently up for auction at Christies, here’s description in case you never get any closer than this.
THE FIRST APPLE COMPUTER, AND THE FIRST PERSONAL COMPUTER WITH A FULLY ASSEMBLED MOTHERBOARD, HERALDING THE HOME COMPUTER REVOLUTION. Introduced in July 1976, the Apple-1 was sold without a casing, power supply, keyboard or monitor. However, because the motherboard was completely pre-assembled, it represented a major step forward in comparison with the competing self-assembly kits of the day. Priced at $666.66, the first Apple-1s were despatched from the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents’ house – the return address on the original packaging present here. It is not clear how many Apple-1s were sold, but by April 1977 the price was dropped to $475, and it continued to be sold through August 1977, despite the introduction of the Apple II in April 1977 (a major advance with integrated keyboard, sound, a plastic case, and eight internal expansion slots). It was officially discontinued by October 1977. A SUPERB EXAMPLE with the original packaging, manuals, cassette interface and basic tape, early documentation and provenance, and a COMMERCIALLY RARE LETTER FROM STEVE JOBS.
The computer is expected to go for somewhere in the neighborhood of $160,000 – $240,000. Who’s buying???
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
No thanks. I’d rather buy a computer that actually works
that belongs in a museum.