An exceptional, fully functional original Apple-1 'NTI' computer (also commonly known as the Apple I, or Apple Computer 1), complete with its exceedingly rare original box and all components and accessories required for operation.
The set includes:
• original Apple-1 board
• original Apple-1 box, signed inside the lid in black felt tip by Steve Wozniak, "Woz"
• original Apple Cassette Interface (ACI)
• original Apple-1 Operation Manual
• original Apple Cassette Interface manual
• a vintage Apple-1 power supply
• a vintage Datanetics keyboard in wooden case
• a vintage 1976 Sanyo monitor
• a vintage Panasonic cassette player
This Apple-1 computer was restored to its original, operational state in September 2020 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, and a video of it running and functioning is available upon request. A comprehensive, technical condition report prepared by Cohen is available to qualified bidders; he evaluates the current condition of the unit as 8.0/10. Aside from the presence of the exceptionally rare original shipping box—one of just a handful of known Apple-1 and box sets known today—the most remarkable aspect of this Apple-1 computer is that it is documented to be fully operational: the system was operated without fault for approximately eight hours in a comprehensive test.
The Apple-1 was originally conceived by Steve Jobs and Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by electronics hobbyists, their initial market being Palo Alto’s Homebrew Computer Club. Wozniak alone designed the hardware, circuit board designs, and operating system for the computer. Seeking a larger audience, Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first personal computer stores in the world. Aiming to elevate the computer beyond the realm of the hobbyist, Terrell agreed to purchase 50 Apple-1 computers, but only if they were fully assembled. The Apple-1 thus became one of the first ‘personal’ computers which did not require soldering by the end user. All together, over a span of about ten months, Jobs and Wozniak produced about 200 Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them.
On the left side, the board is marked: “Apple Computer 1, Palo Alto, Ca. Copyright 1976,” with the NTI emblem below, denoting it as part of the second batch of boards, ordered in the second half of 1976. Unlike most Apple-1 boards, many of the integrated circuits have bright and clear labeling. It exhibits typical green coat wear for a later NTI Apple-1 and has all correct components in good working order. The Apple-1 memory and IO jumpers have been wired to support executing Apple Basic on an 8K memory system, and the prototyping area is pristine and unused. Accompanied by a program from the 2005 UCLA event at which Wozniak signed the box, an image of the present owner with Wozniak and the box at the event, and a printout of a 1994 email from Woz about the Apple-1. The Apple-1 is not only a marvel of early computing ingenuity, but the product that launched what is today one of the most valuable and successful companies in the world.
Please reference our companion catalog for additional details.
