Apple has almost fifty years of history, more than half a life for many of us, during which we saw how all kinds of products were launched. From the sock to protect an iPod to your own camera… All these devices have been reevaluated over the years. And who knows if the same thing will happen with FineWoven covers now that Apple is retiring them.
Today we are going to talk about the product that the most expensive was auctioned in the entire history of Apple. And as you might expect, this is a very old model with virtually only one unit available worldwide.
Apple’s first computer was made of wood
The Apple 1, also known as the Apple Computer 1, was the first computer created by Apple in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. This first “prototype” fell in love with Paul Terrell, owner of an electronics store in California called The byte store.
Apple base 1 in wood
He liked it so much that he decided order fifty fully assembled units. A pivotal moment, as it marked the transition from the Apple 1 (a garage project) to one of the first fully functional, commercially available personal computers.
An Apple distributor in Indiana had an unexpected surprise
As you can imagine, These first units of the Apple 1 have become collector’s items very exclusive because very few units are manufactured. In addition to this first order, an Indiana distributor named Data domain He also wanted to distribute the Apple 1.
Interior of apple 1
In fact, the orders were so small and personalized that Steve Wozniak himself signed the computers by hand which were going to be exhibited at the exhibition, as an in-store demonstration. And that’s what happened in 1977 in this little store in the state of Indiana.
Without knowing very well how, since 1978, this unit signed by Steve Wozniak of the Apple 1 missing. Today, its owner, who asked to remain anonymous, sold the said product at auction for more than three hundred thousand dollars.
It was in 2019 when Its restoration was carried out by the twelfth Apple employee, Daniel Kottke. He was responsible for correcting the board’s problems and proving that the Apple 1 was fully functional.
Apple 1 plate signed Wozniak
A fully functional Apple 1 with its instruction manual
Looking at this auction in more detail and what the lot includes, the Apple 1 was fully functional. And this computer was encapsulated in a wooden box and It connected to any monitor of the time. It would still be a few years to see the original Macintosh and later the iMac.
Apple Manual 1
Let’s see in detail what entire auction understand :
- Original wooden box of the Apple-1, signed in black enamel paint marker by Steve Wozniak and marked “01-0064” on the back.
- Original plaquel from Apple (ACI).
- Power source original keyboard and ASCII.
- Original hardcover manual and later, second unbound edition.
- Tape recorder of Panasonic RQ3109DS cassettes.
- CRT Monitor Compatible Panasonic TR-930U.
- Ipod touch (7th generation) containing audio and video files from the Apple 1 software showing Steve Wozniak signing this Apple 1.
Now this very special unit of the Apple 1 is in the home of an equally anonymous tech collector. We only know that It was sold on March 24, 2024 priced at $323,789. What Apple treasures do you have at home? Would you sell them for that amount of money, or would your Apple nostalgia make you keep them?
Source | RR Auctions
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