If you’ve always wanted to have a piece of computer history, now is your chance. Currently there is what is billed as Apple-1, a model of the first line of computers launched by the company in 1976, for sale on eBay. However, it’s not exactly cheap and will set you back $ 1.5 million.
The Apple-1 is a rare souvenir highly sought after by Apple fans. Even the origin story attracts you. According to Cult of Mac, the computers were designed and built by hand by Steve Wozniak, and Steve Jobs wholesaled them. To pay for manufacturing costs, Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator and Jobs sold his Volkswagen truck.
The Apple-1 for sale on eBay, which the seller claims has a certificate of authenticity from Apple Registry-1It is special because it would be one of the 50 sold at Byte Shop, one of the first personal computer stores. The product listing shows that the Apple-1 is in its original Byte Shop KOA wooden box and also includes its original power supply and Datanetics Version D keyboard.
The seller, who goes by his name Krishmiti, claims that the Apple-1 is an unmodified NTI card in perfect condition. The package also includes a vintage Sony TV-115 and a video modulator. (According to Cult of Mac, users had to add their own keyboard and monitor, or use a TV for it.)
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Now, let’s talk about the specifications of this technological dinosaur. It had an 8-bit MOS 6502 microprocessor operating at 1 MHz. In terms of memory, it included 4KB by default, but this could be increased to 8KB or 48KB using expansion cards. Only 200 Apple-1 computers, as well as some pre-production boards, have been done. Its starting price was $ 666.66.
Decades later, these devices are fetching much higher prices. In 2010, an Apple-1 computer in its original packaging with a letter signed by Jobs sold for $ 210,000. Meanwhile, in 2014, an Apple-1 computer was auctioned for $ 905,000, which is the highest price anyone has paid for an old Apple computer to date, though this seller obviously wants to break that record.
Currently, only a small number of Apple-1s exist, in part due to age, according to Cult of Mac. Apple also allowed buyers to trade in their Apple-1s for the Apple II, which became the first mass market
This is not the first time that Krishmiti has tried to sell his Apple-1. I tried to sell it for $ 1.75 million in 2019, but presumably it did not attract buyers because it lowered the price a bit. Is an Apple-1 worth $ 1.5 million? We might find out soon.
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