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Vintage Apple-1 Fetches Record $905,000 at Auction

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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One of the first computers Apple ever produced sold for a record $905,000 at auction in New York this week, far surpassing expectations.

The Apple-1, which is still in working condition, is said to be one of the first 50 machines built by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs's family garage in Los Altos, Calif in 1976. Auction house Bonham had expected to sell the vintage computer for anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000, but the near million-dollar price tag makes it the most expensive Apple-1 ever sold at auction.

The buyer, the Henry Ford organization, said it plans to display the relic inside its museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

"Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs put technology directly in the hands of the people with the creation of the Apple-1, completely altering the way we work and live," Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford organization, said in a statement. "The Apple-1 was not only innovative, but it is a key artifact in the foundation of the digital revolution."  

There were only 200 Apple-1 computers ever made and today there are only around 64 known units in existence, with just 15 in working condition. They originally sold for $666.66.

Aside from the Apple-1 motherboard, the Henry Ford organization nabbed a hand-built keyboard interface, power supply, copies of the owner's manual and schematics, a vintage Sanyo monitor, and Apple-1 Cassette Interface.

This is not the first Apple-1 to hit the auction block in recent years. Last year, a working Apple-1 sold for a record $671,000 at an auction in Germany, surpassing the previous record of $640,000 set by the same auction house in November. Before that, Sotheby's in New York sold one for $374,500.

As the story goes, Jobs and Wozniak back in 1976 convinced Paul Terrell, the owner of electronics retail chain Byte Shop, to sell the home computer in his stores. Terrell ordered 50 Apple-1 motherboards at $500 each, provided Jobs and Wozniak delivered them fully assembled rather than as DIY kits, a huge departure from other hobbyist computers of the time.

Jobs and Wozniak famously invested all their money in the Apple-1. Jobs sold his VW Westphalia campervan, while Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator to finance the project. The duo soon moved on to designing and selling other models, but the Apple-1 represents the original seed of the Macs we all know today.

"The opportunity to acquire an Apple-1 is a rare one, given their low production numbers," Kristen Gallerneaux, curator of communication and information technology at Henry Ford, said in a statement. "The likelihood that a unit as complete as this will come up for auction is slender."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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