Do you want to own a piece of computer history? Do you have lots of extra money lying around? If so, Christie’s has an auction for you! Up for auction is an original Apple 1 including the original manual, a cassette interface card, shipping box, invoice, and even a letter from Apple founder Steve Jobs himself. The machine is known as the first personal computer that came with a fully assembled motherboard. According to the documentation, the machine originally cost $666.66, with the cassette interface adding an extra $75. It was sold to Electric City Radio Supply in Great Falls, Montana. Christie’s estimates that the lot will sell for £100,000 - £150,000 ($160,300 - $240,450).
The computer is numbered 82 and there were only 200 built. Apple went on to create the Apple II the following year and that model included a built-in keyboard and a casing to house the electronics.
For those of you who don’t have that kind of cash in your checking account, Briel Computers has created a functional clone of the Apple 1 dubbed the replica 1. At only $199, it’s more than $160,101 cheaper than the original thing, and adds extra features like a USB port and an ATX power connector.
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