Apple I Computer Auctioned Off This Friday, Could Fetch Up To $180,000

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AppleIAuction

In the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, the author tells the story of the first Apple computer, the Apple I, created ostensibly for the Homebrew Computer Club. According the the account in the book, Steve Wozniak wanted to give it away for free to members of the club; Steve Jobs, however, had a different vision. When convinced to sell the computer, Wozniak chose the price of $666.66, one that reflected his taste for repeating numbers, not the number of the beast. This friday, that price will get a hefty upgrade.

That same computer may fetch up to $180,000 via auction house Sotheby’s when it puts a rare model of the venerable computer up for auction on Friday. The original computer was nothing like the integrated computers of today, with no keyboard or monitor; hobbyists expected to add those on their own in 1976, when the computer was first released.

This specific auction also includes manuals and supplementary materials, as well as an Apple I Cassette interface. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for a fairly well-off collector, wouldn’t you say?

From Sotheby’s web site:

LOT 57
APPLEᅠ Iᅠ COMPUTER
Operationalᅠ Appleᅠ Computerᅠ I.ᅠ ᅠ Anᅠ Appleᅠ Iᅠ motherboard,ᅠ labeledᅠ onᅠ obverseᅠ Appleᅠ Computerᅠ I,ᅠ Paloᅠ Alto,ᅠ CA.ᅠ Copyrightᅠ 1976.ᅠ Includesᅠ circuitᅠ boardᅠ withᅠ fourᅠ rowsᅠ A-D,ᅠ andᅠ columnsᅠ 1-18;ᅠ MOSᅠ Technologiesᅠ 6502ᅠ microprocessor,ᅠ labeledᅠ MCSᅠ 6502ᅠ 3776;ᅠ videoᅠ terminal;ᅠ keyboardᅠ interface;ᅠ 8Kᅠ bytesᅠ RAMᅠ inᅠ 16-pinᅠ 4Kᅠ memoryᅠ chips;ᅠ 4ᅠ powerᅠ suppliesᅠ includingᅠ 3ᅠ capacitors;ᅠ firmwareᅠ inᅠ PROMSᅠ (A1,ᅠ A2);ᅠ low-profileᅠ socketsᅠ onᅠ allᅠ integratedᅠ circuits;ᅠ breadboard;ᅠ heatsink;ᅠ expansionᅠ connector;ᅠ cassetteᅠ boardᅠ connector.ᅠ (15ᅠ 1/8ᅠ xᅠ 9ᅠ in.;ᅠ 385ᅠ xᅠ 234ᅠ mm)

Source: Sotheby’s Via: Wall Street Journal

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