Apple 1 Computer To Be Auctioned At Christie's

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 160 months ago
Apple 1 Computer To Be Auctioned At Christie's

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Meet your Macbook's distant relative.
This month's hottest Apple product won't be found tucked near the Genius Bar at one of the company's ubiquitous stores, but at Christie's: a very rare Apple 1 computer is to be auctioned.

Made by a youthful Steve Wozniak and his friend Steve Jobs in the heady summer of 1976, in a garage belonging to the latter's parents, the computer was one of the first to come with the chips pre-assembled, only requiring users to add a case, monitor, keyboard, and power supply (a little bit like the Mac Mini). It retailed at $666 on release, but as one of only 50 surviving models of the original 200 built, it's likely to fetch around £100,000-£150,000. The machine comes complete with the manuals, a personal letter from Jobs, and an invoice dating 7/12/76 (what, no iLife bundled with it?)

Other items of computer wizardry and science lore on the block during the November 23rd auction include an Enigma Machine, papers by Charles Babbage, and offprints by Alan Turing.

Last Updated 12 November 2010