This 1976 Apple computer heralded a future that would change the world.
FUTURISTIC then and a collector’s item today a 1976 model of the first Apple computer – in cyber speak as original an antique as anyone could hope for – will come under the hammer at Christie’s in London on October 9. The Apple-1 serial number 22 from the estate of former Apple employee Joe Copson will be sold at Christie’s Travel, Science and Natural History auction in South Kensington. Designed and hand built by Steve Wozniak with improvements suggested by Steve Jobs the Apple-1 consisted of a pre-assembled motherboard sold without a casing, power supply, keyboard or monitor. A keyboard and a tv was needed to operate it.
The first Apple-1’s were sent to customers from the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents house. Originally it cost $666.66, but by April 1977 the price had dropped to $475. It continued to be sold until August of that year. Less than 200 were produced. By October 1980 Apple had established a factory in Cork city. With huge iPhone revenues it is now the world’s biggest company, worth more than Microsoft and Google combined. This Apple-1 is estimated at £50,000-80,000.