If you’ve ever wanted a piece of computer history, now’s your chance. There is currently what is billed as a working one Apple-1, a model from the first line of computers the company launched in 1976, for sale on eBay. However, it isn’t exactly cheap and will cost you a good $ 1.5 million.
The Apple-1 is a highly sought after rare piece of memorabilia for Apple fans. Even the original story attracts you. According to Cult of Mac, the computers were designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak, and sold wholesale by Steve Jobs. To pay for manufacturing costs, Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator and Jobs sold his Volkswagen van.
The Apple-1 for sale on eBay, which the seller claims has a certificate of authenticity from the Apple-1 registry, is special because it is said to be one of the 50 sold to Byte Shop, one of the first PC stores. The product listing states that the Apple-1 is in the original Byte Shop KOA wooden case and also includes the original power supply and Datanetics version D keyboard.
The seller, going through krishmiti, states that the Apple-1 is an unaltered NTI board in near-perfect condition. The bundle also includes a period Sony TV-115 and a video modulator. (Per Cult of Mac, users had to add their own keyboard and monitor or use a TV for the latter).
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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 that can be increased to 8 KB or 48 KB with expansion cards. Only 200 Apple 1 computers, and a few too pre-production boards, are made. Their starting price was $ 666.66.
Decades later, these devices fetch much higher prices. In 2010 an Apple-1 computer in the original packaging with a letter signed by Jobs sold for $ 210,000. Meanwhile, an Apple-1 computer was sold at auction in 2014 $ 905,000, the highest known price anyone has paid for a vintage Apple computer to date, although this seller clearly wants to break that record.
According to Cult of Mac, only a small number of Apple-1s exist today, partly due to aging. Apple also allowed buyers to trade in their Apple-1s for the Apple II, which became the company’s first mass market computer.
This isn’t the first time Krishmiti has tried to sell his Apple-1. He tried to sell it $ 1.75 million in 2019, but probably did not get any customers, as he had brought the price down a notch. Is an Apple-1 Worth $ 1.5 Million? Maybe we’ll find out soon.