Apple II #129

[Dr.Ken]

I have an Apple II, serial # 1-129. This item predates the official intro of Apple II since the keyboards, cases and power supplies were not yet available--so I rolled my own (Apple I style)--but the board is real enough, stuffed by Woz personally no less while I observed (I think "payroll" that day was Steve, Steve, Mike, and some kid writing games--all working for future consideration, which of course worked out pretty well for those who took the deal.). The serial # is hand-written in permanent marker as was the matching entry with my name in Woz's black composition notebook reserved for such occasions. I have full documentation (way more than was provided after intro), original color brochure from the First WCCF, canceled check, etc. It works. I have plenty of software, including those audio tapes before DOS came out.

Now I am only guessing, but I always assumed the first Apple II was serial #100, a "puffer fish" trick we all learned back at HP. Let's just say I didn't see 128 entries in that book. The black book should be in the Apple archives--it would be interesting to see just how many older machines there once were.

I also have a somewhat newer "twin"--same hand-made case, etc.--1979 date code on the mother board. Both are loaded with two floppies, full 64K RAM plus another 64K bank-switch board, etc.

I have interest from the Smithsonian on 1-129, but thought I would check around first, since most of their collection is gathering dust in warehouses. I have dust too--so we are awaiting space on the main floor or a better offer.

These are the oldest of my collection, which includes a "WOZ" Platinum Apple IIGS, peripherals and software.

Interest?

 

[bizzle]

Neat, but if you're trying to sell it, this isn't the place.

 

[Yakuza]

I have an Apple II, serial # 1-129. This item predates the official intro of Apple II since the keyboards, cases and power supplies were not yet available--so I rolled my own (Apple I style)--but the board is real enough, stuffed by Woz personally no less while I observed (I think "payroll" that day was Steve, Steve, Mike, and some kid writing games--all working for future consideration, which of course worked out pretty well for those who took the deal.). The serial # is hand-written in permanent marker as was the matching entry with my name in Woz's black composition notebook reserved for such occasions. I have full documentation (way more than was provided after intro), original color brochure from the First WCCF, canceled check, etc. It works. I have plenty of software, including those audio tapes before DOS came out.

Now I am only guessing, but I always assumed the first Apple II was serial #100, a "puffer fish" trick we all learned back at HP. Let's just say I didn't see 128 entries in that book. The black book should be in the Apple archives--it would be interesting to see just how many older machines there once were.

I also have a somewhat newer "twin"--same hand-made case, etc.--1979 date code on the mother board. Both are loaded with two floppies, full 64K RAM plus another 64K bank-switch board, etc.

I have interest from the Smithsonian on 1-129, but thought I would check around first, since most of their collection is gathering dust in warehouses. I have dust too--so we are awaiting space on the main floor or a better offer.

These are the oldest of my collection, which includes a "WOZ" Platinum Apple IIGS, peripherals and software.

Interest?

ohhh sweeeeet

i would buy that in a heart beat...if i weren't in the other side of the atlantic lolol

 

[Roderick Usher]

I have an Apple II, serial # 1-129. This item predates the official intro of Apple II since the keyboards, cases and power supplies were not yet available--so I rolled my own (Apple I style)--but the board is real enough, stuffed by Woz personally no less while I observed (I think "payroll" that day was Steve, Steve, Mike, and some kid writing games--all working for future consideration, which of course worked out pretty well for those who took the deal.). The serial # is hand-written in permanent marker as was the matching entry with my name in Woz's black composition notebook reserved for such occasions. I have full documentation (way more than was provided after intro), original color brochure from the First WCCF, canceled check, etc. It works.

You can't post a description like that and not post photos.

 

[tonyburkhart]

pix pls, or it didn't happen

 

[Jason Beck]

You can't post a description like that and not post photos.

I agree. Let's see, and subscribed for the moment.

 

[Dr.Ken]

Pictures--by popular demand

First picture has the serial #1-129 machine on the right, showing both Apple II's in their "Apple I" style home brew case--wood plus vinyl-covered Aluminum. The next two pictures show the home-brew power supply, RF-driver, and original-style plug-ins to allow 4K or 16K DRAMs (which cost more then than an iPhone today). My DRAMs were mil-grade ceramic burn-in survivors from Intel's dumpster. The fourth picture shows the serial number in the lower left corner of the mother board. The last picture is the "Woz" II-GS.

Questions?

Dr. Ken

 

[dmr727]

^^^ very nice! I'm bummed that I missed out on the hobbiest period of microcomputers. There's really nothing like it these days.

 

[Dr.Ken]

What you also missed

You also missed the "roll your own" software days. Very little money changed hands over software in the first few years. There was much hand wringing that the fledgling hardware business would starve if everyone kept shamelessly sharing (copying) software, but there were few barriers and not much worth paying for. Before my first Apple earned that hand-made case, it was spread across the floor and table with live wires exposed everywhere, while we took turns writing programs that "did something" using only a 40 character by 24 line screen and/or the same 40x24 pixel color display. That was quite a challenge, since few had more than 16KB RAM and most had only 4KB (that's KB, not MB, or GB or TB) and you had co-opted the family cassette recorder so you could occasionally store your program (in Basic) and shut off the power. We actually thought WE had missed the hobbyist phase, which before Apple II intro was typified by bit switches as input of assembly code for the first couple hours until you had entered a keyboard driver routine so you could use letter input of assembly code.

 

[madmax_2069]

Very nice Dr. Ken

 

[gkarris]

I think there was a time where you can just get Apple II boards and add the cases/power supply yourself like the original Apple.

They're pretty cool - I saw a guy about when eBay first started post one new in box (just the board and paperwork) - should've bought it...

 

[WardC]

That's really, really, cool. Thanks for sharing!