In 1976 the Apple I was the only personal computer to come with a fully assembled motherboard. It might be a little less high-spec’d than an iPad or iPhone but that did not stop Apple’s first computer selling for £133,250 at auction in London on Tuesday.
The sale price of the Apple I, with a processor thousands of times slower than an iPad, proved the power of the company’s brand even in relation to products more than 30 years old. The computer, one of only 200 such models ever made, was sold at Christie’s together with its original packaging and a signed letter from Steve Jobs, current CEO of Apple Inc and one of Apple Computer’s co-founders.
When the Apple I was launched in 1976, was sold for $666.66 ($2594 at today’s price).
The auctioned Apple I eventually went to Italian businessman and private collector Marco Boglione, who made his offer over the phone.