An exceptionally rare, fully functional Apple-1 computer signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently sold at auction for $1.15 million (around ₹10.9 crore), setting a world record for a commercially released Apple-1.
According to a report by the New York Post, the computer, known as the ‘Hatfield’ Apple-1, had a competitive 28-minute bidding battle between two people before fetching the record price. The sale comes in the year Apple marks the 50th anniversary of its founding.
“We are delighted with this exceptional result for the ‘Hatfield’ Apple-1, one of the most important milestones in computing history,” Ian Ehling, a director at international auction house Bonhams, said, as per the Post. “It was an honor to offer Apple’s first product during the company’s 50th anniversary year,” he added.
The computer is particularly significant because its motherboard bears the clear signature of Wozniak, who designed and built the Apple-1 in 1976. Steve Jobs, on the other hand, was responsible for marketing the computer.
The auction lot also included a 1978 letter signed by Jobs and addressed to the computer’s original owner, Fred Hatfield. In the letter, Jobs offered Hatfield a trade-in upgrade to the newly released Apple II. Other items included in the sale were the original operations manual, a typed invitation to the “Apple I Owners Club” and several hardware components.
{{/usCountry}}The auction lot also included a 1978 letter signed by Jobs and addressed to the computer’s original owner, Fred Hatfield. In the letter, Jobs offered Hatfield a trade-in upgrade to the newly released Apple II. Other items included in the sale were the original operations manual, a typed invitation to the “Apple I Owners Club” and several hardware components.
{{/usCountry}}According to auction house Bonhams, the computer is listed as No. 48 in the Apple-1 Registry, making it one of fewer than 75 verified Apple-1 machines known to survive.
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Apple’s humble beginnings
The Apple-1 was the first product in the history of the technology company, which has since become one of the world’s most valuable businesses. Apple crossed a $4 trillion market valuation last year, driven in part by strong demand for its latest iPhone models.
The company’s origins date back to the 1970s, when Jobs and Wozniak met through a mutual friend. The two began attending meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California, where enthusiasts discussed the emerging possibilities of personal computing.
Using money from the sale of Jobs’ Volkswagen, the pair began building computers in the garage at Jobs’ parents’ home. Their work eventually led to the Apple-1. Byte Shop, an early computer retailer in Mountain View, California, ordered 50 units at $500 each after seeing a prototype in Jobs’ garage.
The machine became a landmark in the development of personal computing, helping establish the foundation for the company that would go on to transform the technology industry.
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Steve Wozniak recalls Apple-1 breakthrough
Wozniak later described the moment that helped inspire the development of the Apple-1 in his memoir, iWoz. “I typed a few keys on the keyboard and I was shocked!” he recalled.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that day, Sunday, June 29, 1975, was pivotal. It was the first time in history anyone had typed a character on a keyboard and seen it show up on the screen right in front of them,” he wrote.