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Steve Jobs' Prototype Apple 1 Computer Going on Display in Seattle's 'Living Computers' Museum

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Living Computers: Museum + Labs in Seattle, which is dedicated to showcasing the history of computing devices from around the world, is this Friday opening up a wing focused on all things Apple. Called the "Apple Computer Exhibit," visitors will be able to walk through the first two decades of Apple's products and advances in technology, ranging specifically from 1976 to 1999 (via GeekWire).

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The prototype Apple 1 computer on display​


The exhibit will house what Living Computers executive director Lath Carlson described as "the most important computer in history," a prototype Apple I that sat in Steve Jobs' office and was used as a demo model in the early years of the company. Visitors will be able to interact with an Apple 1, although it'll be a different version than the Jobs machine, while also viewing Apple computers like the Apple II, IIe, IIc, Apple III, Lisa, and various Macintosh computers.

Although Carlson admitted that Jobs' Apple 1 is "also the most boring to look at," its importance has earned it a spot as the centerpiece of the new exhibit.
"About 200 of these were made, around 70 are known to have survived, and around seven are operable," Carlson told GeekWire while showing off the museum's working 1976 Apple I. "We're going to be running Steve Wozniak's version of BASIC that he wrote on it."
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The exhibit includes details about Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, the original $666.66 price point for the Apple I, and "much more." A point of focus in the new exhibit is Apple's early connection with Microsoft, and the museum itself was founded by Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates.

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"We've always actually had a fairly significant Apple collection, and we've always had Apples on display," Carlson said. "I think people a lot of times come here and are a little surprised to see that. They associate us with Paul Allen, with Microsoft. And a lot of times people don't realize Microsoft provided a lot of the early software and hardware for Apple, and continued to over the years. When Steve Jobs went back to Apple, there was a significant investment by Microsoft -- $150 million -- to keep the company basically going. And they agreed to keep providing Office for Macs."
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The Apple 1 in question is said to have been used by Jobs and Apple's first investor, Mike Markkula, as a modified version of the basic computer that the company used to take on the road and showcase its capabilities to potential investors. The machine was left behind by Jobs when he left Apple in 1985, and when Apple allowed employees to clean out his office, an engineer named Don Hutmacher ended up going home with the Apple 1.

When Hutmacher passed away this past year, his family discovered the Apple 1 sitting in his garage, leading to its new residence at Living Computers. Overall, the Apple exhibit in the Seattle-based museum is said to organically fit into the overall story of Living Computers, including the rise of IBM and its support of Microsoft that lead to industry domination. Diverging paths will allow visitors to witness the emergence of Windows 95 in one direction, or the new "evolving story" of Apple in the other direction.

Article Link: Steve Jobs' Prototype Apple 1 Computer Going on Display in Seattle's 'Living Computers' Museum
 
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https://www.macrumors.com/2017/04/10/steve-jobs-prototype-apple-1-museum/
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Speaking of Steve's stuff, I wonder what'll happen to the contents of his office now they're moving campuses. Tim said Steve's office is exactly how he left it, with the door closed. I wonder if they'll transport it all and recreate it somewhere else, possibly on display. Or if his family will just take it all.
 
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JarScott said:
Speaking of Steve's stuff, I wonder what'll happen to the contents of his office now they're moving campuses. Tim said Steve's office is exactly how he left it, with the door closed. I wonder if they'll transport it all and recreate it somewhere else, possibly on display. Or if his family will just take it all.
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It'd make a very cool museum exhibit IMO.
 
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I'm more excited for this antique than for the latest MBPs.

JarScott said:
Speaking of Steve's stuff, I wonder what'll happen to the contents of his office now they're moving campuses. Tim said Steve's office is exactly how he left it, with the door closed. I wonder if they'll transport it all and recreate it somewhere else, possibly on display. Or if his family will just take it all.
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I guess they will leave it as is, unless they are selling their old campus. Tbh I don't think it would make much sense to move things to an office where Steve has never put foot, unless it is some sort of museum or an exact replica of his old office.
 
maflynn said:
That's cool, if there's any reason to go to Seattle, now I have an excuse :D
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840quadra said:
Seattle is amazing. Especially considering you can head north to some awesome landscape and great elevation contrast between waters and the mountains.

I would say it's worth finding an excuse to go ;) .
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Seattle is a very nice place. Lived there most of my life. The only thing I didn't like is the weather. Seattle has been getting lots of rain recently. Seattle needs more sunshine! I also miss stores like RE-PC and Uwajimaya (not forgetting to mention, Pike Place Market). There are some stores that makes Seattle unique in my opinion. You probably won't find them elsewhere. Can't wait to go back home for the summer.
 
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I drive past the living computer museum every day but just never felt the urge to go. Will be there on Friday. Would love to see the Apple 1 on Display.
 
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I remember the dark brown/black Apple II clones that were in a couple classrooms of my high school. Are those in the museum? For a time I owned a Motorola StarMax. The fans always running made it very noisy, but it was a great machine.
There was a great documentry that talked about the early days of apple, its collaboration with Microsoft and its parting check out Triumph of the Nerds: Accidental Empires that originally aired on PBS. I see there is a version posted on YouTube.
 
Jarman74 said:
some sort of museum or an exact replica of his old office.
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Well yeah. This would be the only way of doing it. They wouldn't just straight up move it to a new room which is closed to the public - that wouldn't really make sense. They'd either have to move it somewhere for display, or remove it entirely/give back to family.
 
If you do go to Seattle, be sure to bring fat wallet. It is very expensive town to live as well as visit. Even the outlying suburbs are expensive. Be sure to plan out lots of travel time between places you go because traffic is really a bog, even on the weekends.
 
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JarScott said:
Speaking of Steve's stuff, I wonder what'll happen to the contents of his office now they're moving campuses. Tim said Steve's office is exactly how he left it, with the door closed. I wonder if they'll transport it all and recreate it somewhere else, possibly on display. Or if his family will just take it all.
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I thought the new campus was in addition to the existing one. If so, no reason to move it.
 
amg2014 said:
Seattle is a very nice place. Lived there most of my life. The only thing I didn't like is the weather. Seattle has been getting lots of rain recently. Seattle needs more sunshine! I also miss stores like RE-PC and Uwajimaya (not forgetting to mention, Pike Place Market). There are some stores that makes Seattle unique in my opinion. You probably won't find them elsewhere. Can't wait to go back home for the summer.
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You must not have been back for awhile. Spent considerable time their this summer. Campers and vagabonds from around the country have filled up their parks and along the freeways to create rat infested, garbage dumps. Huge numbers of mentally ill roaming the streets and very aggressive beggars, ala San Fran. Hardly a day went by without witnessing someone defecating or urinating along the roads. They let people literally put tents on sidewalks, live in abandoned campers in residential neighborhoods. And it will only be getting worse with the first "safe injection" sites in the country where the coppers can't go but you can bring whatever drugs you want and shoot up in front of a nurse, and now they are setting up tent cities where you can use all the drugs and alcohol you want. Don't believe me, Google their town newspaper to read for yourself. They now have the earned a spot in the top five worst traffic messes in the country.
 
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