Working Apple 1 Computer Sells for Record Auction Price of $671,400

[gnasher729]

The cache I'm talking about is mindshare, as indicated by market share. Fewer people think well of Apple now as compared to the recent past.

I think you meant to use a different word, not "cache". Maybe "cachet". I recommend the dictionary application that ships with MacOS X.

As far as market share is concerned, Apple's market share in the computer market has been growing and growing and growing. In the portable music player market, although not _that_ important anymore, Apple is the leader. In the phone market, Apple's market share has been growing and growing. It is now eight times higher than Apple's initial goal of getting 1 percent of the total phone market with the iPhone, and that with a phone that is at the absolute high end of the market, where unit sales are obviously lower. In the tablet market, Apple's market share 3 1/2 years ago was exactly zero, now it is the absolute market leader.

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This story gave me hope for my old Commodore VIC20, in my loft that I have carried around from place to place. Then I checked eBay and saw bids starting at 99p.

The reason why the Apple 1 is so rare is that only 1000 were sold in the first place, and when the Apple 2 was released, Apple offered upgrades to the much better Apple 2 computer, so many Apple 1s were returned and destroyed.

 

[macs4nw]

i spot the old fashioned apple logo. nice

Looks like a depiction of Sir Isaac Newton working on his Universal Law of Gravitation. A nice Jobsian touch.

Does anybody know what the bottom letters mean? They read: SJ: ck

Standard in the business world: dictated by SJ; typed by ck, whoever that was.

and it exemplifies the fanboy mentality that is Soooooo off putting to so many people.

Sorry to disagree. This has almost certainly nothing to do with fanboyism, but everything with a smart investor buying up items that are expected to significantly increase in value, in the future, much like such well-heeled people buy paintings, art or even things like items of clothing or handwritten and signed notes written by famous people. Just recently one of Michael Jackson's gloves sold for $420,000 at auction.

.....Investment.

Spend your money on what you like, but I can think of a few better things myself. Whatever. Happy days

.....Some rich Asian guy wanted the working Apple I. What's it to you if he was willing to pay $671,400 for it?

Precisely.

That is more expensive than having a cup of coffee.

An astute observation that goes to the heart of the value of things, a very relative concept for sure. I mean even if I had $610,000 that I didn't need for anything else, I still wouldn't spend it for coffee with Tim, but that's just me. Everyone has their own priorities in life, and who are we to criticize them.

 

[brand]

That's almost a $1 million. Pretty crazy. That computer could buy me a couple of nice cars!

Two thirds of a million is not almost a million. $330,000 is a long way from $1,000,000

 

[Shearwater]

That's almost a $1 million. Pretty crazy. That computer could buy me a couple of nice cars!

It's $328,600 away from being a $1 million???

 

[B...]

It's $328,600 away from being a $1 million???

And that's only $171,400 away from 1/2 a million!

 

[Philoman]

It is a little strange how their early branding may suggest a religious implications by the use of the *bitten apple* as the brand logo and then pricing their first product, Apple-1 for *$666*. I do not buy anyone's comment that it was a coincidence. These guys were not dumb nor naïve.

I love the Apple computers today but gives me the bad vibes about what they were thinking then. Perhaps they were intelligent enough to realized how unbalanced this world was then yet were not the believers of God...I truly pray that that one tradition is not the case today at Apple if it were then.

 

[Mago]

While a working IBM PC selss for 14.95$ plus shipment...

 

[swingerofbirch]

I'd rather have a house . . . but maybe this is an investment.

 

[weing]

Two thirds of a million is not almost a million. $330,000 is a long way from $1,000,000

True. But with most Art Auction houses collecting a buyers premium that's anywhere from 10 to 25% , with 20% being average, It could easiy bring the buyers out-of-pocket on this to over 900,000.

 

[imageWIS]

No touchscreen, no camera, no portability, no internet, no multitasking.

Samsung win

 

[imageWIS]

Looks like a depiction of Sir Isaac Newton working on his Universal Law of Gravitation. A nice Jobsian touch.

Due to the education system in the US, most people wouldn't have picked up on it.

 

[osaga]

It is a little strange how their early branding may suggest a religious implications by the use of the *bitten apple* as the brand logo and then pricing their first product, Apple-1 for *$666*. I do not buy anyone's comment that it was a coincidence. These guys were not dumb nor naïve.

I love the Apple computers today but gives me the bad vibes about what they were thinking then. Perhaps they were intelligent enough to realized how unbalanced this world was then yet were not the believers of God...I truly pray that that one tradition is not the case today at Apple if it were then.

Seriously that bothers you? Steve and Woz don't strike me as being particularly religious or anti-religion, just very counter culture; like everyone in the 70's. Phone hacking, pranks, pirate flags, forbidden fruit, lsd, "think different" etc. I wouldn't read into any of it.

 

[Philoman]

Seriously that bothers you? Steve and Woz don't strike me as being particularly religious or anti-religion, just very counter culture; like everyone in the 70's. Phone hacking, pranks, pirate flags, forbidden fruit, lsd, "think different" etc. I wouldn't read into any of it.

I appreciate your comforting response.

 

[nick_elt]

I'd rather have a house . . . but maybe this is an investment.

he probably has a few already....

 

[MacDav]

The wrong people have money

According to who? You?

 

[MacDav]

Very few people with that kind of money actually "worked" for it. It's usually 90% luck.

Besides if they actually "worked" for it, that would imply that they know the value of a dollar. This is the most ridiculous waste of money and it exemplifies the fanboy mentality that is Soooooo off putting to so many people.

90% luck? I guess you've probably had 90% bad luck and you're a victim of rich upper class oppression. You know how the world should work, but for some strange reason it never works that way. It's not your fault...it's their fault. The sad story of Mr. Gates life. On the other hand Mr. Bill Gates was one of those 90% lucky guys. The world is not fair.

 

[ohbrilliance]

Bummer if it stops working

 

[Mr. Gates]

luck, 90%? whatever. Its an investment anyway so hardly a waste of money, you just explained the reason the real reason that your not rich and its not down to luck.

Sounds like someone needs to get a real job. The vast majority of people with money have earned it. This only includes people who have not inherited it, before you put words in my mouth.

90% luck? You can't be serious. Go occupy someplace.

Strange because my experience is when people make such statements , its usually 90% jealousy.

90% luck? I guess you've probably had 90% bad luck and you're a victim of rich upper class oppression. You know how the world should work, but for some strange reason it never works that way. It's not your fault...it's their fault. The sad story of Mr. Gates life. On the other hand Mr. Bill Gates was one of those 90% lucky guys. The world is not fair.

Sorry I couldn't respond sooner ! I was at work.

That 90% comment really set you folks off. But its true. People that achieve that kind of money (In the Millions) usually got there with a lot of luck. Unfortunately most other people in my position tend to over embellish their so called "Hard work"
It's usually just being good with numbers or having the right personality to convince people to do things for you.
It's hardly ever "Hard Work" and as a matter of fact, creating this false narrative "Sacrifice" and making themselves out to be some kind of success story is usually a load of crap.
My success in life is most definitely 90% luck and being born into the right family under the right time and circumstance.
Anyone who denies these simple truths of life is probably too full of themselves to have a real conversation with. They will either lie about themselves to try and win whatever point they think they are trying to make, or repeat a bunch of total BS from conservative talk shows and FOX News.

As for this being an investment ? Well that's a fine excuse , but this purchase is also a risk. Who's to say the value will go up? Interest in these things seem to pass. It's generational and although Apple has been doing pretty good we all know how easily the tide can shift.

You have to continue to innovate to keep interest and Apple has been riding the wave from 2007 for a bit too long and you can see other companies starting to get more and more attention.

I wouldn't be surprised if this old pile of junk computer went down in value. Not at all

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bummer if it stops working

exactly !

 

[TelevisionTV]

I have that exact tape player with the original box.

 

[juanm]

Next time someone tells you Macs don't have a good resale value, you know where to point them at.

 

[Frisco]

I was going to buy it until I realized it's incompatible with my gen 1 iPod. It doesn't have a Firewire port, which I found very strange.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

That's a lot of Spacebucks.

 

[sputnikv]

you can buy a good mac pro with that money

 

[mabhatter]

A GTR and LFA. Or Lambo and an LFA or other car so yeah!

or a nice reliable Honda Civic for each day of the week!

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Bummer if it stops working

Woz is still round... didn't he build most of them himself? He might help repair it for a small fee?

 

[macs4nw]

Sorry I couldn't respond sooner ! I was at work.....

Working on your future millions, perhaps, lol

.....People that achieve that kind of money (In the Millions) usually got there with a lot of luck. Unfortunately most other people in my position tend to over embellish their so called "Hard work"
It's usually just being good with numbers or having the right personality to convince people to do things for you.
It's hardly ever "Hard Work" and as a matter of fact, creating this false narrative "Sacrifice" and making themselves out to be some kind of success story is usually a load of crap.....

While some of those things you mentioned like timing, good inter-personal skills and a big dose of good luck are definitely a prerequisite, hard work and putting in lots of long hours were equally essential in many cases where people have made it big. It's a bit of a slap in the face to those people who have worked long, hard hours for their success, to attribute their 'having made it' to just luck and good timing.

.....As for this being an investment ? Well that's a fine excuse , but this purchase is also a risk. Who's to say the value will go up? Interest in these things seem to pass. It's generational and although Apple has been doing pretty good we all know how easily the tide can shift.

You have to continue to innovate to keep interest and Apple has been riding the wave from 2007 for a bit too long and you can see other companies starting to get more and more attention.

I wouldn't be surprised if this old pile of junk computer went down in value.....

That is a possibility; all speculative investments are risky by nature. But at any future value, it will always be a piece of history. If they were serial numbered, I'd say serial #00001 belongs in the Smithsonian.