The first ever Apple computer – the Apple 1 – has been sold at a German auction for $640,000. (€491,868)
The iconic machine, which is still in perfect working order, would have cost only $666.66 when it was first made, but its rarity has now made it a collector’s item.
Making it even more valuable is the fact that it has been signed by Apple computer inventor and co-founder Steve Wozniak, who designed and built the machine from scratch with his own hands in 1976.
Sky News reported that that the device was sold to an unknown telephone bidder from the Far East.
Only 200 units of the Apple 1 were ever built and it was the machine from which the whole Apple empire was founded. Today only 46 of these original Apple machines are known to exist with only six of those in working order.
Auctioneer Uwe H. Breker from Auction Team Breker Cologne, Germany, which sold the device, said: “This is the sensational first product of today’s highest valued company,
“The Apple 1 is already a legendary milestone from the dynamic dawn of the personal computer age.
“This computer is one hundred-percent authentic and in fully-working condition.
“At the time it was first sold the machine was always delivered as a motherboard only.
“The peripheral equipment such as power pack, keyboard, monitor and cassette recorder had to be obtained personally by the user.
“Apple never offered a housing – every user had to make his own.
“The Apple 1 did not have an operating system, just a monitor-program, which provided the interface between keyboard entry, the computer memory and monitor exit.
“Any software system had to be loaded on cassettes.”
The Apple 1 was sold with an original manual, software tapes and a company letter from Steve Jobs.
Two other working Apple 1 computers have already been sold:
- The first was sold by Sotheby’s New York on June 15th for $374,500 while
- the second was sold on 24 November by Auction Team Beker for $640,000.
Auctioneer Beker, who sold the latest machine, added: “The Apple 1 really is the symbol for the American dream. Two students had an idea, built and marketed it, and 35 years later it is the highest valued company ever.
‘Steve Wozniak designed the Apple 1 computer, the first fully assembled computer kit, in 1976 and Steve Jobs took on the task of selling it.
“This item was bought by a software company owner 30 years ago and when he saw our Apple 1 auction last November in which one sold for $640,000 he thought now was the time to sell.”
The German auction house announced the news with a small entry on its website:
Now see a video the auction house put together which features the iconic Apple 1 machine in action:
Picture credits: © auctionteambreker/YouTube Via: Daily Mail