FARK.com: (7374157) Cool: Apple Computer 1, serial Number 22, goes up for auction starting at $80,000. Fark: No one bids on it. Come on people, this is vintage tech

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		Cool: Apple Computer 1, serial Number 22, goes up for auction starting at $80,000. Fark: No one bids on it. Come on people, this is vintage tech ( abcnews.go.com)		85
		More: Interesting, vintages, first computer, computers

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3742 clicks; posted to Geek » on 10 Oct 2012 at 2:28 PM (5 years ago) | Favorite | share:

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The Stealth Hippopotamus

2012-10-10 10:37:36 AM

vintage tech aka paper weight

doglover

2012-10-10 10:39:16 AM

I'll give you exactly tree fiddy.

SnarfVader

2012-10-10 10:44:00 AM

It doesn't have rounded rectangles.

FirstNationalBastard

2012-10-10 10:45:15 AM

B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

OtherLittleGuy

2012-10-10 10:47:51 AM

It's not compatible with my iPhone.

GAT_00

2012-10-10 10:52:53 AM

Come on, you can totally use this with your iPhone! The OS is still the same!

xynix

2012-10-10 11:16:47 AM

FirstNationalBastard: B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

cman

2012-10-10 11:30:14 AM

If our economy wasnt in the shiatter. I think you would find a lot of people fighting over it

dletter

2012-10-10 11:59:06 AM

#22 seems a bit high. I could see maybe a # in the top 5 or 10 possibly getting that high of a bid, and definitely serial Number 1 getting 10s of thousands, but, at some point, it isn't "the first" anymore.

#22 I'd think you'd be lucky to get 3k.

dletter

2012-10-10 12:00:53 PM

dletter: #22 seems a bit high. I could see maybe a # in the top 5 or 10 possibly getting that high of a bid, and definitely serial Number 1 getting 10s of thousands, but, at some point, it isn't "the first" anymore.

#22 I'd think you'd be lucky to get 3k.

Caveat.... if it is known that #'s 1-21 have been destroyed, I would say that raises the value of serial #22 then.

If there are let's say 10 of that model still around with serial numbers lower than 22 though.... now this is just an old computer.

dletter

2012-10-10 12:02:28 PM

And after reading the article more now... appears someone did bid $50k.... not exactly chump change... I'd have taken it.

Makh

2012-10-10 12:22:02 PM

What's wrong with you? You never buy the first version of Apple anything. Wait until the second or third version before they have worked out all of the bugs.

It probably doesn't even have a retina display.

Donnchadha

2012-10-10 12:22:27 PM

Well, for only $5 more you could buy a brand new iMac

downstairs

2012-10-10 12:34:02 PM

Pretty much this. I'm not a collector of anything, but I do know that collectors are very picky. #1 or #2 would be all they'd be willing to spend a lot of money on. #22 is something neat to show your grandkids.

There are Picasso drawings that go for next to nothing.

davidphogan

2012-10-10 01:25:02 PM

dletter: And after reading the article more now... appears someone did bid $50k.... not exactly chump change... I'd have taken it.

I was thinking the same. $50k for an old PC? I'd sell it.

MilesTeg

2012-10-10 02:31:43 PM

divx88

2012-10-10 02:34:21 PM

xynix: FirstNationalBastard: B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

He was probably whipping the good Steve at the time, therefore could've sweated on it from all that whipping.

cgraves67

2012-10-10 02:38:46 PM

The value of any Apple product halves every time a successor model comes out. That thing should be worth 5 bucks.

GoldSpider

2012-10-10 02:44:21 PM

Can I sell my old Commodore 128 to these nitwits?

Honest Bender

2012-10-10 02:45:08 PM

If I were Apple, I'd have bought it. Put it in a display case in the lobby or something. Reminder of the company's origins.

Rent Party

2012-10-10 02:46:21 PM

Tech people don't care about it, and the modern hipster iFan doesn't care because it isn't pretty.

Apple should put it in their lobby or something.

naveline

2012-10-10 02:50:35 PM

Why does it cost as much as a new one?

malaktaus

2012-10-10 02:53:21 PM

$80k for a PC, and it can't even run Crysis 2? I'll pass.

jjwars1

2012-10-10 02:56:21 PM

xynix: FirstNationalBastard: B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

According to the wiki on Apple Computer 1, Steve Jobs hand made each model. He sold them for $666.66.

Now, can we have another thread about how Apple is evil?

malaktaus

2012-10-10 03:06:34 PM

Well, apparently one of these sold just a few months ago for $374,500. There are fewer than 50 left in existence.

/still doesn't play Crysis 2, do not want

Pinky in the Brain

2012-10-10 03:06:48 PM

Browsing antiques, I saw a Craigslisting today for a IIc, owner kept all the manuals, install floppies, cables etc. Even had 2 magazine covers FRAMED. All kept in a glass display case, included, all for only a thousand dollars. Priceless?

malaktaus

2012-10-10 03:07:32 PM

And here's the link.

tlchwi02

2012-10-10 03:08:13 PM

Honest Bender: If I were Apple, I'd have bought it. Put it in a display case in the lobby or something. Reminder of the company's origins.

they probably have #1 in the lobby already

and old tech is not going to be a big collectors item in the future. its not pretty enough.

MBZ321

2012-10-10 03:15:33 PM

I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?
Computer 1
Computer 2
etc...

Do the needful

2012-10-10 03:16:10 PM

I hear they have been using this to run their maps application.

downstairs

2012-10-10 03:25:34 PM

jjwars1: According to the wiki on Apple Computer 1, Steve Jobs hand made each model. He sold them for $666.66.

Now, can we have another thread about how Apple is evil?

I thought Woz built them, not Jobs.

PsyLord

2012-10-10 03:30:37 PM

Apparently this is the non-functional Apple 1 (missing some DRAM) that an Apple employee is trying to sell.

'Listen, I would love to purchase this for $80k, but it's missing some DRAM. And in this non-functional state, with it missing it's original box, the best I can do is maybe $5.'

TheSwizz

2012-10-10 03:33:51 PM

PsyLord: Apparently this is the non-functional Apple 1 (missing some DRAM) that an Apple employee is trying to sell.

[profile.ak.fbcdn.net image 200x150]
'Listen, I would love to purchase this for $80k, but it's missing some DRAM. And in this non-functional state, with it missing it's original box, the best I can do is maybe $5.'

Can you split the difference? $39997.50?

zedster

2012-10-10 03:36:19 PM

TheSwizz: PsyLord: Apparently this is the non-functional Apple 1 (missing some DRAM) that an Apple employee is trying to sell.

[profile.ak.fbcdn.net image 200x150]
'Listen, I would love to purchase this for $80k, but it's missing some DRAM. And in this non-functional state, with it missing it's original box, the best I can do is maybe $5.'

Can you split the difference? $39997.50?

"No, now the offer is $4.50"

Jiro Dreams Of McRibs

2012-10-10 03:42:36 PM

Man, I just know my Starmax 2000 is going to pay for my diapers in a few years.

pastorkius

2012-10-10 03:50:20 PM

GAT_00: Come on, you can totally use this with your iPhone! The OS is still the same!

Very true, neither of them can run Google Maps.

RaverRevolution

2012-10-10 03:50:29 PM

zedster: TheSwizz: PsyLord: Apparently this is the non-functional Apple 1 (missing some DRAM) that an Apple employee is trying to sell.

[profile.ak.fbcdn.net image 200x150]
'Listen, I would love to purchase this for $80k, but it's missing some DRAM. And in this non-functional state, with it missing it's original box, the best I can do is maybe $5.'

Can you split the difference? $39997.50?

[www.history.com image 475x240]
"No, now the offer is $4.50"

You forgot to call your buddy who's an expert on Apple 1 computers to come and appraise it for me.

abhorrent1

2012-10-10 03:50:57 PM

Are you really shocked that there were no bids, subby?

You sound gullible.

RatOmeter

2012-10-10 03:55:06 PM

You could put several of those in a modern FPGA and it'd still be worthless but for the fact that the FPGA could be reloaded with something else more useful.

Glockenspiel Hero

2012-10-10 04:01:26 PM

MBZ321: I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?
Computer 1
Computer 2
etc...

They're selling to people who are using them as controllers for various devices. Lots of old scientific and industrial stuff out there runs on very old software, running on very old hardware. Highly reliable, single purpose, and very expensive to replace, and frequently the software won't ever run on anything but the exact hardware it expects to see. It's a lot cheaper to buy another old 486 and stick it in than to replace the entire device.

A HPLC I used to use had a HP-85 as a controller. Worst case of screen burnin I've ever seen- you literally couldn't tell when it was on since the main screen info was forever printed on the display. When I was using it it was a decade old, but the HPLC worked great and I know they didn't replace it for several years after I left.

Glockenspiel Hero

2012-10-10 04:02:35 PM

Whoops, forgot the picture- HP-85. Started production in 1979

thornhill

2012-10-10 04:10:33 PM

I know people who collect old computers and electronic gadgets, and put them on display cases in their homes.

I don't get. It looks like junk to me.

Saborlas

2012-10-10 04:11:03 PM

You know what's also vintage tech?

This year's iMac.

andyofne

2012-10-10 04:14:05 PM

GoldSpider: Can I sell my old Commodore 128 to these nitwits?

shiat, I recently threw a couple of them away that were in my garage for 15 years.

Pick

2012-10-10 04:14:42 PM

You don't price anything at $80,000. You price it at $79,995. Then it will sell. You have to make the buy think he/she is getting a deal.

Cerebral Knievel

2012-10-10 04:17:30 PM

MBZ321: I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?
Computer 1
Computer 2
etc...

the only conceivable reason I can come up personally with for ever buying something old like that at any price is the off chance that there may be a rare and old chip some where in there that would make the purchase worth while.
otherwise, there is absolutely nothing worth while about either of those listed computers. well, the first one, the non working one does have some limited collector interest, mostly because it's line was more of a commercial flop ( limited numbers on the streets). there may also be industrial and commercial interest in having it for spare parts to keep legacy systems running. and as it becomes harder and harder to find spare parts to keep things running, the price goes up.
that IBM was sold mostly to businesses so it may have been part of a front end for an early PLC controlled piece of industrial equipment. so some factory out there, instead of spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a complete controls systems upgrade is going to go the cheaper route of just keeping the old thing going.

In that regard, $500 is a helluva lot cheaper than the alternative, and the alternative is what I used to do before becoming a brewer. And I can assure you that a completes automatons systems upgrade costs hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions and required quite a bit of down time for the equipment being upgraded. you would try to keep the down time to around two weeks, but things always happen.

The apple computer in the article? It's paperweight.

Cerebral Knievel

2012-10-10 04:20:37 PM

Glockenspiel Hero: MBZ321: I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?
Computer 1
Computer 2
etc...

They're selling to people who are using them as controllers for various devices. Lots of old scientific and industrial stuff out there runs on very old software, running on very old hardware. ..........

:shakes tiny internet fist:

Robo Beat

2012-10-10 04:24:00 PM

Pick: You don't price anything at $80,000. You price it at $79,995. Then it will sell. You have to make the buy think he/she is getting a deal.

666 is the number of the Beast. $665.99 is the MSRP of the Beast.

Yotto

2012-10-10 04:39:18 PM

Come on people, this is vintage tech

Come on subby, put up or shut up. If I had 80k I wouldn't be spending it on some POS I can't use.

T.rex

2012-10-10 04:47:21 PM

Yes, but does it play Flash?

Cerebral Knievel

2012-10-10 04:50:18 PM

T.rex: Yes, but does it play Flash?

plug it into a 230v power source, and then... probably.

Abe Vigoda's Ghost

2012-10-10 04:55:55 PM

cman: If our economy wasnt in the shiatter. I think you would find a lot of people fighting over it

Hmmm, One of the first Apple computers, or Starbucks?

Screw it. Off to Starbucks.

theurge14

2012-10-10 05:02:20 PM

Forget it, the Samsung I had a larger screen.

Slaves2Darkness

2012-10-10 05:30:51 PM

Meh, I've got three in my garage, hell one might even work. I should check the serial numbers.

Dinjiin

2012-10-10 05:33:18 PM

GoldSpider: Can I sell my old Commodore 128 to these nitwits?

If you have a 1581 drive you're willing to part for a reasonable price, I'll take it.

Nina_Hartley's_Ass

2012-10-10 05:48:11 PM

Donnchadha: Well, for only $5 more you could buy a brand new iMac

Ha!

But seriously, everyone who wants one probably still has one.

jjwars1

2012-10-10 06:04:27 PM

downstairs: jjwars1: According to the wiki on Apple Computer 1, Steve Jobs hand made each model. He sold them for $666.66.

Now, can we have another thread about how Apple is evil?

I thought Woz built them, not Jobs.

Whoops. Yup, Woz. Good catch.

MooseUpNorth

2012-10-10 06:09:34 PM

xynix: I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

Steve Ballmer, on the other hand...

downstairs

2012-10-10 06:18:42 PM

jjwars1: downstairs: jjwars1: According to the wiki on Apple Computer 1, Steve Jobs hand made each model. He sold them for $666.66.

Now, can we have another thread about how Apple is evil?

I thought Woz built them, not Jobs.

Whoops. Yup, Woz. Good catch.

You're right about the price, which is hilarious.

StoPPeRmobile

2012-10-10 07:05:49 PM

MBZ321: I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?

Some companies refuse to upgrade. Proprietary software and all that.

uber humper

2012-10-10 07:33:49 PM

I don't guess I get anything for my Laser 128. I think it was the only Apple clone to be in production, legally. Apple IIc clone.

Thrag

2012-10-10 07:34:53 PM

xynix: FirstNationalBastard: B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

Not only did he sweat, but for a large portion of his life he had the delusional belief that due to his crazy diets he had no body odor and so he did not use deodorant or even bathe on a regular basis.

StoPPeRmobile

2012-10-10 07:36:54 PM

Thrag: xynix: FirstNationalBastard: B-b-b-but... Steve Jobs may have sweated on this!

YOU NEED STEVE JOBS SWEAT!

I don't think Steve Jobs ever broke a sweat..

Not only did he sweat, but for a large portion of his life he had the delusional belief that due to his crazy diets he had no body odor and so he did not use deodorant or even bathe on a regular basis.

Well, bathtubs are rectangles with rounded corners, so he had a problem with that since he invented the shape.

FormlessOne

2012-10-10 07:42:06 PM

It's a collector's item with limited appeal to a very vertical crowd. The asking price is way too much, and so it didn't sell even among folks who'd be interested in a piece of computing history. It's nice, but it's a conversation piece, not a Degas.

Aar1012

2012-10-10 07:55:50 PM

MBZ321: I love browsing ebay/craigslist and seeing morons trying to sell old 486 and Pentium II machines for hundreds of dollars. What are these people thinking?
Computer 1
Computer 2
etc...

It's always interesting to see the insane things that people will do. I collect old video game consoles and get a kick when I see someone listen something for an absurd price.

Generally it'll go like this

'I found this old Sega Saturn in my basement. It has the power cord and a controller that is missing a button. I don't had the AV cable so it is untested

Asking price is $175'

StoPPeRmobile

2012-10-10 08:00:05 PM

FormlessOne: It's a collector's item with limited appeal to a very vertical crowd. The asking price is way too much, and so it didn't sell even among folks who'd be interested in a piece of computing history. It's nice, but it's a conversation piece, not a Degas.

"Normal" people have no farking idea who Degas was. You could have went with Michelangelo, though. That would have been a perfectly cromulent argument.

theurge14

2012-10-10 08:14:38 PM

Well if this was number 22 than it was among the first 50 ordered by the Byte Shop computer store. This machine was hand assembled by Steve Wozniak, Bill Fernandez, Daniel Kottke and Steve Jobs in Jobs' parents house.

I suppose it would be interesting to own one of these original 50 for sentimental value, as in the computer history picture it's quite a big deal, but if it's missing parts then not so much. Hobbyists today can make Apple I clones, quite cheaply from what I understand.

Found this interesting bit about the DRAM from a hobbyist site:

The Apple-1 was an ingenious design that was very unique for the day. Based on the MOS Technology 6502, it was probably the first hobby computer to ever be designed by a real electronics engineer.

The Apple-1 used dynamic RAM, a far more economical memory than static RAM, but very hard to use. Dynamic RAM required "refreshing" every 2 ms. This was a heavy burden for an early microprocessor, requiring special timing and controllers to stop or pause the processor long enough to complete a refresh cycle 500 times a second. Almost no one could make it work the first time. Miss a beat, and you lose most or all your data. (I remember MITS had many problems with their attempt, and although the Digital Group version worked fine, a few modifications were required to the CPU and other boards to make it work.)

Woz made it work. The Apple-1 used the same clock signal to refresh the RAM, out clock the video and run the processor. It worked perfectly, and made history.

more here if you want to keep reading

rooftop235

2012-10-10 08:36:35 PM

Saborlas: You know what's also vintage tech?

This year's iMac.

At work we are not liking mountain lion much.

2words1finger

2012-10-10 08:55:54 PM

"Well... okay, that sounds like a good deal."

FormlessOne

2012-10-10 10:04:35 PM

StoPPeRmobile: FormlessOne: It's a collector's item with limited appeal to a very vertical crowd. The asking price is way too much, and so it didn't sell even among folks who'd be interested in a piece of computing history. It's nice, but it's a conversation piece, not a Degas.

"Normal" people have no farking idea who Degas was. You could have went with Michelangelo, though. That would have been a perfectly cromulent argument.

Seriously? What, did high schoolers recently go through the Monarch Notes version of art history? Holy crap.

cyberspacedout

2012-10-10 10:25:49 PM

downstairs: jjwars1: downstairs: jjwars1: According to the wiki on Apple Computer 1, Steve Jobs hand made each model. He sold them for $666.66.

Now, can we have another thread about how Apple is evil?

I thought Woz built them, not Jobs.

Whoops. Yup, Woz. Good catch.

You're right about the price, which is hilarious.

Last Thursday, October 4th, Apple's stock price closed at 666. Coincidence?

/yeah, probably
//was really 666.80

Millennium

2012-10-10 10:52:18 PM

Come on, $80,000 for that? I mean, seriously; I could buy two, maybe even three current Macs for that much.

StoPPeRmobile

2012-10-10 11:41:44 PM

FormlessOne: StoPPeRmobile: FormlessOne: It's a collector's item with limited appeal to a very vertical crowd. The asking price is way too much, and so it didn't sell even among folks who'd be interested in a piece of computing history. It's nice, but it's a conversation piece, not a Degas.

"Normal" people have no farking idea who Degas was. You could have went with Michelangelo, though. That would have been a perfectly cromulent argument.

Seriously? What, did high schoolers recently go through the Monarch Notes version of art history? Holy crap.

Arts are played way down. Why do you think so many people are clueless about history?

ThatBillmanGuy

2012-10-11 12:30:54 AM

I've only seen one episode of that Pawn show you guys are posting pics about, but you have nailed everything I took away from that one viewing.

yeah, $50 for a $195,000 P-51 mustang. That seems fair...

StoPPeRmobile

2012-10-11 12:36:49 AM

ThatBillmanGuy: I've only seen one episode of that Pawn show you guys are posting pics about, but you have nailed everything I took away from that one viewing.

yeah, $50 for a $195,000 P-51 mustang. That seems fair...

I have never seen the show but I get it.

farking weird.

R.P.M.

2012-10-11 01:06:51 AM

doglover: I'll give you exactly tree fiddy.

"I ain't givin' you no tree-fitty, you goddamn Loch Ness Monster! Get your own goddamn money!"

BoxOfBees

2012-10-11 03:53:10 AM

Earlier today I bought an Apple I computer that is an iconic piece of 1970s Americana, for eight dollars. So I've taken it to my buddy Rick to see if he can get restore it to its original condition. I just hope there's some money to be made on this thing.

It cost a little more than expected, because we had to re-jigger the thingy-whos and Kowboy dropped the CPU in a vat of acid, but I think that you're going to be able to sell this computer and make a profit on this. I'm right at around $43,000 on this restoration. Let's go inside and do some paperwork.

Geez, Rick, it can't even run Crysis 2. You overpaid for this one. I would've gone $4 max.

dready zim

2012-10-11 05:42:42 AM

I built my first computer as well but it could only display 4 LED hexidecimal numbers.

It could multiply add and subtract...

anybody want to give me £40,000?

/now people build their first computer in minecraft...

GoldSpider

2012-10-11 08:07:42 AM

Dinjiin: If you have a 1581 drive you're willing to part for a reasonable price, I'll take it.

I think it's got a 1571. =(

Slaxl

2012-10-11 08:38:08 AM

T.rex: Yes, but does it play Flash?

I'm sure someone could make it work.

Bacontastesgood

2012-10-11 10:20:18 AM

StoPPeRmobile: Arts are played way down.

Depends on where you are. My kids learned about the works of Klee, Mondrian, Lichtenstein, etc. when they were still in (public) grade school. Also painted imitations. It stuck too, since they see art and will normally compare it to the right influence. I'll show them a Degas tonight and see if it rings any bells. I must admit they didn't recognize Rothko, or non-cubist Picasso.

SirDigbyChickenCaesar

2012-10-11 11:09:56 AM

iDoorstop

BraveNewCheneyWorld

2012-10-11 11:56:39 AM

I bet it's secretly just apple hyping the prices so they can make everyone think a mac will increase in value like those nascar plates.

Sultan Of Herf

2012-10-11 02:52:12 PM

BraveNewCheneyWorld: I bet it's secretly just apple hyping the prices so they can make everyone think a mac will increase in value like those nascar plates.

Yeah, my "Jesus dropping the flag at Talladega" plate is a collectors item...lady on Home Shopping Network told me so.

SirDigbyChickenCaesar

2012-10-11 03:42:50 PM

Sultan Of Herf: BraveNewCheneyWorld: I bet it's secretly just apple hyping the prices so they can make everyone think a mac will increase in value like those nascar plates.

Yeah, my "Jesus dropping the flag at Talladega" plate is a collectors item...lady on Home Shopping Network told me so.

my "Calvin pissing on 33" not so much...

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