Think a new MacBook is expensive? Last week, a working 1976 Apple-1 Personal Computer sold for $355,000 in an auction hosted by Christie’s New York.
A 1976 Apple-1 personal computer.
Christie’s New York
The Apple-1 PC was the company’s first personal computer, handbuilt by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in the confines of Jobs’ garage. Though the computer comes without a casing and power supply, it’s the first to have its own motherboard, which set it apart from competitors. Apple-1’s success at the time is credited as the force that catapulted Apple into the personal computing industry.
Another look at the Apple-1.
Christie’s New York
While $355,000 may seem steep for a 1976 PC, it’s the cheapest Apple-1 sale to date. At previous auctions, similar computers brought in $671,400 in 2013 and $905,000 in 2014. The Apple-1 originally retailed for $666.66, and now only 66 computers still exist. Sound like a coincidence? Maybe!
And get this, another piece of technology history came in the same auction. A 1944 Four-Rotor Enigma Machine, which was used to decrypt German messages in World War II, sold for $547,500.
A Four-Rotor Enigma Machine from 1944.
Christie’s New York