Apple 1

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Apple 1:

Steve Jobs’ bomber jacket goes up for auction

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Steve Jobs’s bomber jacket goes up for auction
Steve Jobs’s bomber jacket is one of dozens of Apple memorabilia items now up for auction.
Image: RR Auction/Cult of Mac

You have the opportunity to wrap yourself in a piece of Apple history: the bomber jacket Steve Jobs was wearing in an iconic photo of the Apple co-founder “flipping the bird” to an IBM sign.

It’s part of Steve Jobs and the Apple Revolution, an auction that just kicked off featuring nearly 300 items.

Today in Apple history: Apple-1 starts a revolution

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Apple-1
The Apple-1 in all its glory!
Photo: Auction Team Breker

April 11: Today in Apple history: Apple-1 launches. It's the First Apple computer. April 11, 1976: Apple releases its first computer, the Apple-1.

Designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak, the computers are sold wholesale by “Steven” Jobs. To finance their manufacturing, Wozniak sells his HP-65 calculator for $500, while Jobs sells his Volkswagen van. Years later, in 2014, a working Apple-1 will sell at auction for $905,000.

Today in Apple history: The Byte Shop, Apple’s first retailer, opens

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Paul Terrell founded The Byte Shop on his birthday.
Paul Terrell founded The Byte Shop on his birthday.
Photo: NextShark/Paul Terrell

December 8: Today in Apple history: Early computer store The Byte Shop, Apple's first retailer, opens December 8, 1975: San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur Paul Terrell opens The Byte Shop, one of the world’s first computer stores — and the first to sell an Apple computer.

Years before Apple would open its own retail outlets, the Byte Shop stocks the first 50 Apple-1 computers built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

Today in Apple history: Rare Apple-1 sells for crazy money

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The Apple-1 sold for what was then the largest amount a personal computer ever earned at auction.
The Apple-1 sold for what was then the largest amount a personal computer had sold for at auction.
Photo: Christie's

November 23: Today in Apple history: Rare Apple-1 computer sells for $210,000 at auction November 23, 2010: An early Apple-1 computer, complete with its original packaging and a letter signed by Steve Jobs, sells for $210,000.

At the time, it ranks as the most expensive personal computer ever sold at auction. That makes sense, because it’s an incredibly rare find. The working Apple-1 is thought to be one of only approximately 50 still in existence.

Apple check No. 2, signed by Jobs and Woz, goes up for auction

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Apple check #2, signed by Jobs and Woz, goes up for auction
Both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak signed this check.
Photo: RR Auction

A unique bit of Apple history just went up for auction: Apple Computer check “No. 2” signed by company co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Bidding for the $116.97 check is already up to more than $55,000.

A number of other rare Apple items are also up for sale, some signed by Jobs.

Today in Apple history: Homebrew Computer Club meets for first time

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Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak make important connections at the Homebrew Computer Club.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak learned valuable lessons at Homebrew.
Photo: Apple

March 3: Today in Apple history: Homebrew Computer Club meets for first time March 3, 1975: The Homebrew Computer Club, a hobbyist group that will help spark the personal computing revolution, holds its first meeting in Menlo Park, California.

It becomes a welcome forum for computer geeks at a time when few others care about the nascent technology. Regular attendee Steve Wozniak and his friend Steve Jobs will eventually show off the first Apple-1 unit at the club.

Apple-1, factory-sealed iPhone 2007 and more rare Apple items go up for auction

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Apple-1 signed by Steve Wozniak
You can own one of the first Apple-1 units produced.
Photo: RR Auction

An Apple museum could be made of just the items currently up for bid at a single auction. There’s a fully functional Apple-1, an Apple Lisa 1, some technical notes handwritten by Steve Jobs, an original iPhone still sealed in the plastic and much, more.

Many of these items are expected to bring in big bucks.

Working Apple-1 signed by Woz could fetch $485,000

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Wozniak autographed the Apple-1's CPU in Dubai in 2021.
Wozniak autographed the Apple-1's CPU in Dubai in 2021.
Photo: The APPL Collection

A restored Apple-1 in good working order might see a winning bid of $485,000 in an upcoming auction. That’s not just because the antique computer is nearly all original and actually works. It’s also because Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak signed it.

Historic photos reveal new details about Apple’s first prototype

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Historic photos reveal new details about Apple's first prototype
A careful examination of a photo of an early Apple prototype finds it carries an unexpected name.
Photo: Paul Terrell/Apple-1 Registry

The first computer built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak is the Apple-1, right? Not quite. Turns out before that was the “Apple Computer A.”

Unfortunately, the actual Apple prototype with that name was not found. But pictures of it from 1976 were. And they show details of this handmade Apple prototype.

Forensics finally prove who wrote those mysterious Apple 1 serial numbers

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Some old Apple-1 circuit boards have a handwritten serial number and some don't
Some old Apple-1 circuit boards have a handwritten serial number and some don't
Photo: Achim Baqué, Apple-1 Registry

From time to time you hear about Apple’s first computer, the Apple 1, selling to collectors at auction for big bucks. But did you know some of those surviving antiques carry an enduring mystery? For decades, no one could figure out who wrote the serial numbers on their circuit boards. Until now.

Incredibly rare Chaffey College Apple-1 sells at auction for $500,000

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Only six examples features the koa wood case.
Only six known examples features the koa wood case.
Photo: John Moran Auctioneers

Lots of Apple fans know the company’s first product was the Apple-1 personal computer. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs initially put the machines together in a garage in 1976. Now one unit in their early run of 200, known as the “Chaffey College Apple-1” because its first owner taught there, has sold at auction for $500,000.

Bidding on super-rare Chaffey College Apple-1 computer starts at $200,000

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Only six examples features the koa wood case.
Only six known examples features the koa wood case.
Photo: John Moran Auctioneers

As many Apple fans knows, the company’s first products was the Apple-1 personal computer, initially put together in a garage by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1976. Now one unit in their early run of 200, known as the “Chaffey College Apple-1” because its first owner taught there, is going up for auction November 9 with a starting bid of $200,000.

Get your own faithfully re-created Apple-1 Operation Manual

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Did you know you can purchase a perfect recreation of the Apple-1 Operation Manual, along with a custom-made case to display it in?
Apple fans can buy a perfect re-creation of the Apple-1 Operation Manual, along with a custom case to display it in.
Photo: Armin Hierstetter

This Apple collector’s item post is brought to you by apple-1-manuals.com.

In 1976, the Apple-1 became the future Cupertino tech giant’s first product. Fewer than 70 of the devices remain today, only six of them believed to be in working order. And even the original Apple-1 Operation Manual is incredibly collectible. But now you can get a faithful re-creation of the manual — the product of hundreds of hours of work — for your very own.

You can find basic copies of the original on cheap printer paper, but Armin Hierstetter, a German entrepreneur and retro computer enthusiast, took it upon himself to do it better.

Ultra-rare Apple-1 computer, signed by Steve Wozniak, is up for auction

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Apple-1
This Apple-1 is among the rarest bits of Apple memorabilia you can own.
Photo: RR Auction

An ultra-rare Apple-1, the first computer Apple ever produced as a company, is coming up for auction. And it’s signed by none other than designer and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

This Apple-1, one of only a handful of the computers thought to exist today, has been restored to an operational state. It comes in its original shipping box, making it an even less common specimen. It could be yours for no more than the price of a typical mid-priced American home.

Custom iPhone 12 variants pay tribute to Apple’s very first computer

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Caviar iPhone Apple-1
How many Apple has changed since 1976!
Photo: Caviar

Russian company Caviar is known for producing blinged-out Apple devices that would make billionaire fat cats and 2000-era rappers say “that’s a bit over-the-top.”

But its latest creations, infinitely more humble and low-fi in appearance, are easily my favorite of its customized devices. Caviar will produce a pair of iPhone 12 models patterned after the original Apple-1 computer, as built in 1976.

Super-rare Apple-1 sells for big bucks at auction

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Apple-1 auction netted almost half a million dollars.
A working Apple-1 still goes for quite a pile of money.
Photo: RR Auctions

A fully functional and complete Apple-1 computer, hand-built by Apple founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs back in 1976, was auctioned off yesterday for over $458 thousand.

There are only a handful of these left. This particular unit appeared recently on the TV show Pawn Stars.

Today in Apple history: Unique Apple-1 computer sells for big money

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Steve Wozniak shows off a
Steve Wozniak shows off a "Celebration" model Apple-1, the rarest version of Apple's rarest computer.
Photo: Charitybuzz

August 25: Today in Apple history: Rare Celebration Apple-1 computer sells for big money August 25, 2016: An ultra-rare Apple-1 computer raises $815,000 in a charity auction, one of the highest prices ever paid for one of the machines. Bidding actually reaches $1.2 million in the auction’s final minutes. However, that bid gets pulled seconds before a winner is announced.

The reason for the super-high price? This “Celebration” Apple-1 boasts a feature that did not appear on any production models of the computer.

12 Apple 1s turn computer festival into ‘Disneyland for nerds’

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Apple 1 collection at Vintage Computer Festival West
Twelve of the 70 Apple 1 computers still in existence were at the Vintage Computer Festival West this past weekend.
Photo: Erik Klein/Vintage Computer Federation

Only 70 Apple 1 computers are known to exist. But collectors gathered twelve of them over the weekend for the annual Vintage Computer Festival West at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif.

This is no small feat considering the fragility and rarity of the humble machine that launched a computing revolution — and one of the world’s most influential companies.

“They are the computers that started Apple,” Dag Spicer, senior curator for the museum, told Cult of Mac. “People are completely blown away.”

Computer festival boasts world’s largest gathering of rare Apple 1s

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Apple-1
Would you believe 10 of these will be in one place?
Photo: Auction Team Breker

You would have to ride in a time machine back to 1976 and that garage on Crist Drive in Los Altos, Calif., to find 10 Apple 1 computers in the same space.

But this weekend, 10 or more will be displayed at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., for the annual Vintage Computer Festival West.

About half the machines will be working.

Original Apple-1 manual sells for almost $13,000

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A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
This original Apple-1 user manual is slightly stained but it’s still worth quite a bit.
Photo: RR Auction

Bidding was apparently hot and heavy for a computer manual for the Apple-1, this company’s very first computer. In a multi-day online auction for this rare bit of tech history, the top bid was under $10,000 only a few days ago but in the end the document sold for $12,956.

Original Apple-1 manual goes up for auction for $10,000

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A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
Photo: RR Auction

Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, an international arms dealer or some other wealthy individual, chances are that you won’t be able to afford an Apple-1 at auction anytime soon.

But don’t give up hope of owning a piece of Apple’s first computer. An extremely rare original Apple-1 manual (remember when computers came with those?) has just come up for sale. And it’s only expected to cost $10,000!

Rare Apple-1 with original documentation goes up for auction

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Apple-1 auction
It's your opportunity to own one of Apple's original computers.
Photo: Christie's

Want to own one of the very first computers Apple ever launched? You very well could, thanks to a Christie’s auction selling an Apple-1 personal computer, circa 1976.

This model comes complete with original instruction manuals, supporting hardware, and “additional ephemera.” However, with an asking price of up to $630,000, you may have to get a second mortgage or sell a vital organ to get hold of it!