Steve Jobs’ original advertisement for the Apple-1, the groundbreaking computer that started it all, was auctioned for $175,759.
A rare piece of Apple history has been sold at an auction for a whopping $175,759, according to Boston-based RR Auction. The item is an original handwritten advertisement for the Apple-1 Computer, penned entirely by Steve Jobs himself. The document reveals Jobs’ meticulous attention to detail and entrepreneurial foresight, as well as his humble beginnings in his parents’ garage.
The advertisement sheet bears Jobs’ full signature in lowercase print, “steven jobs.” It features contact information, including his parents’ home address and phone number—historically, the original headquarters of the Apple Computer Company.
The draft highlights the technical specifications of the groundbreaking Apple-1, which was designed to utilize a 6800, 6501, or 6502 microprocessor. Jobs recommends the 6501 or 6502 due to the availability of “basic” software. He also notes the Apple-1’s capacity for full expandability to 65K via an edge connector, housing 58 integrated circuits, including 16 for 8K RAM. Interestingly, the draft makes mention of “basic on the way (ROM),” a concept that would eventually materialise in the Apple II, rather than the Apple-1.
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Perhaps most captivating is the price point Jobs cites in the draft: a modest $75 for the “board only + manual,” which he deems a “real deal.” The handwritten ad matches the original advertisement for the Apple-1, initially published in the July 1976 edition of Interface Magazine. This marked the initial public step of Apple’s journey from a modest garage-based startup to its evolution as one of the world’s most influential and valuable corporations.
The auction package also includes two original colour glossy Polaroid photographs taken at The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California. These images portray a fully assembled Apple-1 computer board, accompanied by a keyboard and monitor. An Apple-1 computer screen is also displayed, showcasing an Apple Basic program. Annotations by Jobs on one of the photos provide an intimate glimpse, where he humorously notes that the image is “fuzzy because camera wiggled.”
The auction also featured several other prominent items, such as a fully operational Apple-1 Computer signed by Steve Wozniak ($223,520), a Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak signed 1976 Apple Computer Check No. 2 ($135,261), and a factory-sealed first-generation 8GB iPhone ($55,999).
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First published on: 26-08-2023 at 17:55 IST