Apple recently made one of its biggest announcements since the unfortunate passing of Steve Jobs. The company is about to sell its first computer ever made. Computer enthusiasts (especially Apple fans) should be excited about the possibility of having the first computer Apple ever made given by an eBay user.
This is according to a report by an agency known as EFE. An ecommerce user recently put the Apple-1, the brand’s first computer, on sale on the platform, fully functional and at a not-too-small price: US$1.7 million.
Information published on eBay reveals that the computer is fully operational and its conditions have been verified. It comes in the original Byte Shop KOA wooden box, with original power supply and Datanectics Version D keyboard. “This is really a first for eBay. It’s a rare opportunity as there are less than 6 original Byte Shop KOA wooden boxes,” eBay said in the publication.
The portal ensures that digital copies of the original manuals, schematics, basic user manual, cassette interface and guides are included with the device. It also has loadable software that includes basic language, games, low and high memory tests, 30th anniversary video among others.
“At the time of delivery we will be available for additional verification as requested and agreed upon by a purchasing agent or a person. The item will not be shipped by the owner as it is too valuable to run the risk of damage, loss or fraud,” eBay explained.
The Apple-1 was the first computer model manufactured and marketed by Apple. It first appeared on April 1, 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California, and was designed by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of the company.
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The commercialization of the computer took place in June of that same year, with a price close to US$666. According to BBC information, it is estimated that Wozniak and Steve Jobs sold some 200 Apple-1 computers in less than a year.
In 2018, according to the British media, there were 79 computers of this model in circulation and it is an important piece of the history of the technology since it was the first computer that did not require more assembly than to connect a monitor and a keyboard.
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The Apple-1 was released back in 1976. It is hard to think that Apple has been making computers for nearly half of a century.
I still remember using an Apple IIe back in grade school. These computers were made the year I was born (1983), so they were already relatively obsolete by the time I was in school myself. We used them because public schools were limited with their funding.
It was a big deal when we got a brand new Macintosh computer for our eighth grade classroom in the same year it was released on the market. The Mac has evolved considerably over the years.
Nevertheless, it is pretty nostalgic to see the first Apple computer ever made on eBay. People can enjoy taking a trip back in time and experiencing it as an artifact of history. Some people may even remember how big of a deal it was at the time.