An original Apple-1 computer may sell for as much as £150,000 when auctioned later this month.
Christie’s auction house is selling the computer which it describes as a “superb example” of the machine that launched Apple and launched the personal computer.
The computer — which was nothing more than a circuit board, albeit the first ever PC with a fully assembled motherboards —comes in it its original packaging, with manuals and other documentation, cassette interface and tape.
“Introduced in July 1976, the Apple-1 was sold without a casing, power supply, keyboard or monitor,” Christie’s notes. “However, because the motherboard was completely pre-assembled, it represented a major step forward in comparison with the competing self-assembly kits of the day. Priced at $666.66, the first Apple-1s were despatched from the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents’ house — the return address on the original packaging present here.”
But what makes this example particularly attractive to collectors is the typed letter to the original owner, signed by the Apple founder and current chief executive.
Christie’s estimates that Lot 65/Sale 7882 will sell for between £100,000 and £150,000.
[photo: Christie’s]
