Apple 1 Sells At Auction For $905,000

Dave Knott writes One of the few remaining examples of Apple Inc's first pre-assembled computer, the Apple 1, sold for $905,000 at an auction in New York on Wednesday. The final price outstrips expectations, as auction house Bonhams had said it expected to sell the machine, which was working as of September, for between $300,000 and $500,000. The buyer was The Henry Ford organization, which plans to display the computer in its museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Only 63 surviving authentic Apple 1's were listed in an Apple 1 Registry as of January out of the 200 that were built. The auctioned computer is thought to be one of the first batch of 50 Apple-1 machines assembled by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Steve Job's family garage in Los Altos, California in the summer of 1976. It is also believed to be one of only 15 that still have functioning motherboards. That's a bit more beastly than the original price.

Comments

Retro computers as DIY kits?

[davidwr]

There's probably a business in making retro computers as DIY kits. Sure, some company would have to re-manufacture the parts that couldn't be made at home and with small runs the parts wouldn't be cheap, but there is a hobbyist market out there.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[necro81]

Sure, some company would have to re-manufacture the parts that couldn't be made at home

Thankfully, a lot of the early computers used commodity parts that are still manufactured, such as the 7400 series of discrete logic gates (e.g. 7400 = quad NAND gate, 7404 = hex inverter, etc.). The Apple I's 8-bit microprocessor, the MOS 6502, is still commercially available, too.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[spaceyhackerlady]

There's probably a business in making retro computers as DIY kits. Sure, some company would have to re-manufacture the parts that couldn't be made at home and with small runs the parts wouldn't be cheap, but there is a hobbyist market out there.

Yup.

There are often limits on authenticity, either due to parts availability (e.g. TTL ICs), or for convenience (modern monitors, keyboards).

...laura

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[ArcadeMan]

At 905K$USD per unit I'm pretty sure the market is non-existant. ;-)

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[BarbaraHudson]

The problem isn't the hardware - it's getting legit "Apple-blessed" Apple ROMs for distribution.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[MacTO]

There are kits, and it would be nice if the museum picked up a few to create an interactive exhibit. Just imagine being able to walk into an exhibit hall where the original is maintained in working order, but also being able to use one of the kits to get a taste of computing back in the day.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[rodrigoandrade]

No, there isn't, or else some shrewd businessman would've opened up a shop already.

At the risk of being modded Troll, I'll say that most people interested in these ancient relics, other than museums, want the software that ran on them, and there are several emulators for that.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[davidwr]

I was speaking in general terms. Yes, machines with proprietary, out-of-production components will be difficult or impossible to re-create without cooperation with the company who owns the IP rights.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, some company would have to re-manufacture the parts that couldn't be made at home

Thankfully, a lot of the early computers used commodity parts that are still manufactured, such as the 7400 series of discrete logic gates (e.g. 7400 = quad NAND gate, 7404 = hex inverter, etc.). The Apple I's 8-bit microprocessor, the MOS 6502, is still commercially available, too.

Did you check _any_ of the links for the 6502? Not one of the companies listed sells (any more) a 6502 or a 65C02 Not a single one of them :(
If those are the only providers, then it means the 6502 is actually not manufactured anymore.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[0123456]

Still, the 6502 is simple enough that we'll probably be able to 3D print them soon :).

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[UnknownSoldier]

Doubt it.

Reverse Engineering the MOS 6502 CPU

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[ruir]

Is there? I loved the ZX Spectrum as teenager. I know the Z80 processor in & out. Heck, as my thesis I wrote a computer emulation for it. Would I want to deal again with a clunky 8-bit machine connected to a TV and deal with loading tapes for 5 minutes, or retry the load 3 or 4 times before getting it right? No freaking way. The only thing that stands on a retro computing business is that is far more convenient to deal with emulators on modern hardware.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[fgodfrey]

Err... Western Design Center sells them. Mouser claims to have a few hundred 65c02's in stock in a variety of form factors (PLC-44, QFP-44, and DIP-40) as well as 65816's. The 65816 is compatible enough that if you clocked it at 1MHz, you'd almost certainly end up with a 100% compatible design (though if I remember back to my Apple IIgs days correctly, there are a few minor incompatibilities, even when running the 65816 in 8 bit mode).

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[DavidCBillen]

You could emulate it with an ARM or something. 'Course I guess a substitution here and a subsitution there and pretty soon you may as well just play with a software emulator...

Re: Retro computers as DIY kits?

[Anonymous Coward]

Lots of taiwanese chips have a 6502 core. Getting a "pure" one with a DIP packaging might be trickier though since they tend to have sram, flash, gpio and special features (e.g. sound, lcd, adc etc.) Built in and usually surface mount. 65816 in emulation mode might be available too.

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[Half-pint HAL]

Well, there was the C-One a decade ago, but it wasn't a business as much as a hobby -- I doubt the designers got much back for their time. Or at least not until they were hired to make a modified version for the home nostalgia market, but although they shifted half a million units then, it's likely that any reissue would use software emulation on ARM, as cost/performance ratios would be in their favour now, and it would be competing against software emulation on smartphones (a fair few retrogames are in the iTunes App Store and Google Play already).

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought that with 3D printing we could just make vintage computers at home?

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[KNicolson]

Just imagine being able to walk into an exhibit hall where the original is maintained in working order, but also being able to use one of the kits to get a taste of computing back in the day.

You mean typing in everyone's favourite for the demo machines:

10 PRINT "BUM"
20 GOTO 10

Ahh, happy memories!

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[ihtoit]

The Western Digital 65C816 processor can run in 6502 mode (though slower on the clock, it is a 16-bit chip). Oh, and these guys have a pile of 6502's in: http://uk.mouser.com/_/?Keywor...

Re:Retro computers as DIY kits?

[ihtoit]

I just tried to order some PDIP-40 packages from mouser, they do seem to have some in stock. They do have a two week lead on bulk quantities, so someone's still making them.

No surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple hardware is always over-priced, right?

Re:No surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 at a price of US$666.66,[8] because Wozniak "liked repeating digits" and because of a one-third markup on the $500 wholesale price.

$905,000 sounds about right after accounting for inflation since then.

Re:No surprise

[gnasher719]

Apple hardware is always over-priced, right?

If you can keep it hidden away for 38 years and then sell it for 150,000 percent profit, then obviously it is _not_ overpriced.

Re:No surprise

[ArcadeMan]

Apple hardware is over-priced, but then again you get the OS and the office suite for free with the system and free upgrades later, so it's kind of cheaper in the long run.

Re:No surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

If you can keep it hidden away for 38 years and then sell it for 150,000 percent profit, then obviously it is _not_ overpriced.

typical iphone user logic.

Re:No surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

Please stop posting factual and logical comments, it takes away from the usual anti-Apple circlejerk.

Re:No surprise

[sremick]

Unless you ever want to upgrade or repair it. But of course hardware never fails and 8GB RAM should be fine for years.

Epoxied batteries, soldered RAM, nonstandard SSDs... it's insane anti-consumer BS.

Re:No surprise

[JMJimmy]

Apple hardware is over-priced, but then again you get the OS and the office suite for free with the system and free upgrades later, so it's kind of cheaper in the long run.

Amount paid for MS/Linux software: $0
Amount paid for Apple software: $700

PC hardware survival average: 6+ years
Apple hardware survival average: 14 months

Average price paid per PC: ~$1,200
Average price paid per Apple: ~$2,100

Between a $2,200 monitor getting a hot pixel epidemic in the first 7 months and a $2,000 Macbook Pro melting down to the point of complete failure in 21 months it was by far the worst investments of my life. Meanwhile, I still have an ancient $150 IBM 486 that works beautifully for my classic gaming needs.

Re:No surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

it's so anti-consumer that noone buys these products, right? maybe just because *you* don't like how they do things doesn't make it anti-consumer in the least.
now go change your car's brakes yourself because the anti-consumer vehicle manufacturers don't make this an easy 5 minute task for laymen.

Re:No surprise

[ArcadeMan]

8GB RAM? I wish. The "new" 2014 entry-level Mac mini only has 4GB in the standard configuration, like all four models of MacBook Air.

Re:No surprise

[Half-pint HAL]

Apple hardware is over-priced, but then again you get the OS and the office suite for free with the system and free upgrades later, so it's kind of cheaper in the long run.

Ah well, the buyer of this Apple is going to be mightily disappointed when he tries to download the latest OS and office suite onto his Apple, isn't he?

Re:No surprise

[ihtoit]

my G3 and my G4 had none of those. Batteries, RAM and storage was all removable and replaceable with commodity parts in the case of the RAM and storage, batteries were another matter (they wanted the machines' serial numbers!), so I gave Apple the fuckoff biscuit and got third party replacements.

Steve who?

[PhilHibbs]

Who is Steve Job?

Re:Steve who?

[ArcadeMan]

He was the guy who worked with Steve Wozniak.

Re:Steve who?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean Steve Woznia.

Re:Steve who?

[Dr. Evil]

Steve Job was friends with Steve Wozniac, they're two normal guys who get a lot of strange mail. They live next to Mike Roe, the founder of Mikeroesoft.

Re:Steve who?

[CastrTroy]

That's spelled MikeRoweSoft.

Re:Steve who?

[rogoshen1]

Steve Job is actually a super clever biblical play on words. You see Job is the well known schmuck who God toyed with to demonstrate his power. Whereas Steve(n) was the first christian martyr.

So, Steve Job.. ahh I lost my train of thought, and as such I give up. :(

Re:Steve who?

[Anonymous Coward]

There would be 1024 of them.

Wrong Price!

[hedgemage]

What a bunch of frickin' casuals! If they truly knew their history, the price would have been $905,666.66.

Hindsight

[Anonymous Coward]

Only 63 surviving authentic Apple 1's were listed in an Apple 1 Registry as of January out of the 200 that were built.

So 137 people put $905,000 into the trash bin when they got rid of their Apple 1.

Re:Hindsight

[ArcadeMan]

If there was 137 more working Apple 1, they wouldn't be worth that much.

Re:Hindsight

[tomhath]

That's not how supply and demand works.

Re:Hindsight

[WillAdams]

Or upgraded them to Apple IIs.

Re:Hindsight

[Kjella]

If there was 137 more working Apple 1, they wouldn't be worth that much.

No, but there's 137 people who can each legitimately say "If I hadn't put my machine in the trash, I'd be $900k-ish richer". And I'm not sure how quick the value drops off but I doubt going from 63 to 200 machines (about 3x) would be worse than inverse square so (1/3)^2 * $900k = $100k/machine, that's also a nice chunk of cash.

The Personal Computer

[Ronin Developer]

for the rest of us...one percenters!!!!!

Pretty good return on investment

[njnnja]

At least compared to these Apple products. (Here's a nytimes link if you don't want to go to a random site)

But seriously I'm glad it's going to be displayed in a museum.

rrp

[stealth_finger]

sold at it's RRP then.

Authentic or fake?

[sunderland56]

Are you sure this is an original Apple computer? It doesn't have any rounded corners.

Re:Authentic or fake?

[ArcadeMan]

It's an Apple 1. There is no corners at all.

hmmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Seems like a reasonable price.

Apple ][+

[CosaNostra Pizza Inc]

I used to have an Apple ][+. I sold it back in the mid '90s. In retrospect, I wish I'd kept it for nostalgic purposes. I wonder what that would be worth now.

Re:Apple ][+

[Nimey]

Probably not that much. A new-in-box //c sold for around $2600 a few years back.

Re:Apple ][+

[CosaNostra Pizza Inc]

Also, I remember seeing an Apple 3 at the bank where my father worked back in the '80s.

Re:Apple ][+

[Anonymous Coward]

An Apple ][+? Unless Steve Jobs personally jizzed on it, it's worth about $20.

Re:Apple ][+

[jjeffries]

An Apple ][ must be worth twice as much... you lost a cool 1.8 million simoleons, pal!

Re:Apple ][+

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's a rather beat up one on ebay for $135. Seems about right, any of the Apple II series were far more common than an Apple I; price will depend on condition and how complete it is (does it have box? docs? add on hardware or original software disks, etc..)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-II-Plus-with-2-5-25-floppy-drive-does-power-on-/251668617590?pt=US_Vintage_Computing_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a989e5976

Re:Apple ][+

[DrogMan]

I bought a fully working //c last year for £120. Unboxed though. (And a working Apple II euro the year before for about the same) If you look about, then most of these old ones don't go for much at all really. The esoteric ones sometimes do. e.g. check old ebay listings for the MK14 and Jupiter Ace ... Apple /// and Lisa... Now they'll be worth something... -Gordon

Re:Apple ][+

[CosaNostra Pizza Inc]

A cursory look on ebay shows vintage Apple 2 selling for as much as $500. Apple 3 selling for over $1K.

Waste of money

[p51d007]

But, it ain't my money...

Ripped off

[Sir Realist]

He coulda got a brand new iMac for no more than half that.

Zapple

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

> $666.66

Keep in mind a loaded station wagon, of Family Truckster fame, was around $3500.

Still, it's a 90-fold increase over the original price.

Proper Plural

[eric31415927]

Everybody should know the proper plural of Apple 1 is Apples 1 and not Apple 1's.

Re:Proper Plural

[Anonymous Coward]

why?

it's not Fords f-150

Re:Proper Plural

[Anonymous Coward]

well actually it is Fords F-150, but that's only one of them, plural is Ford (or Fords) F-150s

Re:Proper Plural

[Anonymous Coward]

As they're so fond of saying over on Wikipedia... [citation needed]

The worst kind of Grammar Nazi is the one who is talking out of his ass. On the interwebs, however, no one can smell your stinky breath and know for sure.

I remember when Woz bought one

[Anonymous Coward]

In the early 80s, he came to speak to the Apple ][ user group in Phoenix. While here he visited a computer store in Mesa(?) where they had two Appie 1s. He bought one for $10,000. He gave a good talk to the user group.

* Monitor sold separately

[Snufu]

Next item up for bid.

They got ripped off

[Sulik]

Didn't a working original Apple I recently sold for like 300 bucks on Pawn Stars ?

Re:They got ripped off

[anjrober]

i think that was a apple ][gs

On display at Computer History Museum

[cve]

I saw the display this past weekend and wondered what the insurance value was. My guess is that the premium just went up.
Computer History Museum

Maintenance

[morgauxo]

Authenticity is great and all but with so few still working I hope they will at least re-cap the thing, if that hasn't already been done. I'd hate to see them let that original smoke out!

Re:Maintenance

[ogdenk]

No, it'll probably get put in a picture frame and mounted on the wall or in a glass box never to see power again.

That's what happens when people with more money than brains buy a "piece of history".

Personally, I think "vintage" computers should be played with, experienced, and used. I let my kids play with my Atari 800 all the time. The Apple I wasn't real special either, the Altair was far more capable when well-equipped and had more historical significance. The only thing Apple brought to the table was a cheap 6502-based SBC. Something others had done already including MOS themselves.

I certainly wouldn't pay that much for one, even if I had billions in the bank. Especially for something that will ultimately be a display piece. Hell, if you're looking for something that looks cool and is arguably the worlds first personal computer, get a damn PDP-8/e, it'd be cheaper AND cooler looking.

Re:Maintenance

[ihtoit]

I'd just go for cool factor and hunt around for a working Cray X-MP.

My prototypes...

[MindPrison]

...aren't as fancy as that pre-assembled fully populated print board with no extra wires as patches...

I'm a prototype developer too, and I can't help thinking that - that very computer setup...is just a setup to make some money, because it would look plausible to the laymen that knows nothing of hardware development. Take a computer from the 80s, split it apart, nail it to a wooden brick, and voila...you have your first "sony".

Ya wanna know how real prototyping happens? I know...because I grew up with those guys:

1) it's never a finished printboard like that.
2) It's usually a bunch of vero-boards (breadboards) with tons of logic circuits like the TTL74xxx series.
3) And it would be several prints, for the different sections, a) memory, b) memory management, c) character roms and system memory, d) video memory and video signal generation, e) sound generation board, f) I/O management, for input/output keyboard, disk, cassette, PTT etc.

and I could go on and on....but I am betting you guys have NO clue (so mod me troll, you 14 year olds), I don't care.

Re:My prototypes...

[Anonymous Coward]

You had a good point until you went all dickish on us. Good times.

ASCII art -- easter egg?

[gnu-sucks]

At the beginning and end of the linked video showing the demo of the Apple-1, there is some lovely ASCII art shown on the Apple-1 monitor.

Are these artworks hidden in the rom somewhere? Anyone got a link?

Awesome!

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude! I have one Apple computer, and it's like a zillion times more powerful than the one that just sold for $905,000!!! Mine (a MacBook Air) must be worth trillions!

Think I'll auction it off and retire!

another 6502 classic

[ihtoit]

I wonder how much I'd get for my (still working) BBC Model A?