The auction house Sotheby’s will vendue an Apple-1 computer along with a note written by Steve Jobs to Atari. Sotheby’s estimates the Apple 1 computer would be one of the only 6 working Apple-1 computers in the world and is expected to fetch approximately $180,000. The auction will take place in New York on the 15th of June. The hand written four page notes in 1974 have a few tips to improve the world cup game, functionality and a coin arcade with simple buttons. It also consists of pencil drawn circuit diagrams which are estimated to be sold more than $10,000.
The Apple 1 with the 36 year old motherboard is only one among fifty Apple-1 computers. It had a hand built circuit board by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple and only 200 pieces were ever produced. The personal computer for the first time was sold in 1976 for $666.66. In 1977 the Apple fully-assembled circuit board without monitor, power supply and keyboard. Buyers could get it customized with wooden cases. An engineer by name Mike Willegal says that the old computers cannot be taken into account as currently functioning units, if they are kept for 5 or 10 years without powered in a shelf.
The unit works well with its cassette interface and tapes including basic manual for users. Apple related memorabilia with documentation signed by Jobs at Christie’s auction house was sold in 2010 for $213,000.The document was sold by Sotheby’s for $1.6 million. The collectors and Museums are desperately waiting for their opportunity. The sale of earlier computers gives an idea of the development of computers technology in thirty years.
