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The Associated Press reports that yet another working Apple 1 from 1976 is headed to auction, with Christie's placing a $300,000 opening bid and $500,000 estimate on the machine. The machine is owned by Ted Perry, a retired school psychologist from Sacramento, California who acquired it in a swap over three decades ago.
Perry, 70, acquired his Apple 1 in either 1979 or 1980, as a secondhand item he saw advertised.

He paid nothing for it; it was a swap with the owner.

"I traded some other computer equipment I had for the Apple 1," he said.
Perry has kept the machine, which is essentially a single circuit board paired with aftermarket components such as a monitor, keyboard, and tape storage, in a cardboard box, and only recently confirmed that it still functions.

apple_1_board.jpg
Apple 1 circuit board (Source: Wikimedia)
Perry's Apple 1 is one of only a handful of the machines in existence still in operation, although several others have been auctioned over the past year or two. Just last month, one sold for the equivalent of a record $671,400 at auction in Germany.

The online auction for Perry's Apple 1 begins on Monday, June 24 and runs through July 9. The machine will be on display at the Computer History Museum beginning on Monday.

Article Link: Another Working Apple 1 Heads to Auction with $500,000 Estimate
 

budselectjr

macrumors 65816
Oct 6, 2009
1,006
1,851
Minnesota
At the time, he was working as a psychologist in a school in Carmichael, a town near Sacramento. While observing special needs children, he noticed that a teletype machine "made a huge difference" in how a deaf boy using it responded and learned.

As the first computers came on the market, Perry learned to program them. Then he approached Wozniak, who agreed to provide what the psychologist calls Apple's "internal code" so he could create interactive lessons for his students using the new technology.

very cool
 

ritmomundo

macrumors 68020
Jan 12, 2011
2,021
543
Los Angeles, CA
Perry has kept the machine, which is essentially a single circuit board paired with aftermarket components such as a monitor, keyboard, and tape storage, in a cardboard box, and only recently confirmed that it still functions.

So its just the Apple 1 circuit board? I'm confused...
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601

Deedlez

macrumors regular
Nov 1, 2011
126
38
UK
Kinda wish I'd bought one back in the day. But then again, pretty much all my 80's computer kit (such as it was) have long since died :(
 

GenesisST

macrumors 68000
Jan 23, 2006
1,802
1,055
Where I live
Kinda wish I'd bought one back in the day. But then again, pretty much all my 80's computer kit (such as it was) have long since died :(

I still have my trusty old Commodore 64 as a decoration... Just the keyboard/computer part. I won't even start it, the (seemingly) 1 dpi pixels would hurt my eyes... and I don't want to ruin the fond memories I have.
 

BoxBrownie

macrumors newbie
Jun 19, 2013
23
0
Who would ever think that buying a computer is an investment. Hmm.. makes me think about all those computers I threw away. Just imagine though if you had an Apple 1 and just threw it out. :eek:
 

rei101

macrumors 6502a
Dec 24, 2011
976
1
So its just the Apple 1 circuit board? I'm confused...

Back then a computer was something scary. Remember that even in early 90's there was not internet, a computer was something that you could barely use it to print your homework. There was not actual use for a computer at home even.

Go back to early 80's. There was no market, no need, no training.

People used to play in the street, look for information in the yellow pages, listen to the radio and such. Not having an enclosure for it... a miracle the thing was able to do something and another miracle someone had the knowledge to operate it.
 
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