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Lot #3035
Apple-1 Computer Hand-Numbered by Steve Jobs

Sought-after functional Apple-1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs, with original hardware suite—from the collection of personal computing pioneer Roger Wagner

Estimate: $450000+
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Description

Sought-after functional Apple-1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs, with original hardware suite—from the collection of personal computing pioneer Roger Wagner


Important operational 'Byte Shop' Apple-1 computer (also commonly known as the Apple I, or Apple Computer 1), complete with all components and accessories required for operation. This Apple-1 was one of the first to be publicly auctioned, sold in April 2002 at the Vintage Computer Festival in California. It was purchased by Roger Wagner, a personal computing pioneer who authored the first book on assembly-language programming for the Apple II. He is a longtime friend of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who said: 'Roger Wagner didn't just read the first book on programming the Apple computer—he wrote it.'

The set includes:

• original Apple-1 board, marked in the hand of Steve Jobs with stock number "01-0068"
• original Apple Cassette Interface (ACI) with manual
• original Apple II keyboard with Apple-1 cable adapter
• Apple-1 Basic cassettes
• Panasonic RQ413S Portable Cassette Tape Recorder/Player
• Taxan Model KG-12NU-Y 12" Display Monitor
• CFFA1-CF card adapter for Apple-1
• Replica Apple-1 Operation Manual signed in black felt tip by Steve Wozniak

This Apple-1 computer was examined and restored to operational condition in April 2021 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, and a video of it running and functioning is available online at RRAuction.com. A comprehensive, technical condition report prepared by Cohen is available to qualified bidders; he evaluates the current condition of the unit as 7.0/10. It is listed as #12 on the Apple-1 Registry. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA for Jobs' handwriting on the board. That Jobs numbered these himself is a recent revelation in the Apple-1 world.

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.

This Apple-1 is one of the more identifiable Apple-1 computers due to the replacement of the keyboard socket and other components that failed during operation prior to the VCF auction in 2002. The board has no permanent modification (i.e. cuts or trace repairs to the Apple-1 board). In the restoration of this Apple-1 to operational condition, care was taken to not revert any of the replacement components to maintain the well-known provenance of this Apple-1.

Additionally included are several items from Roger Wagner's association with Steve Wozniak, including several photographs of the two together.

Between the significant provenance—sold at the 2002 Vintage Computer Festival and owned by a pioneering technologist and software designer—and the impressive array of accompanying hardware and ephemera, this is an outstanding example of the sought-after Apple-1 Computer.




From the personal computer-history collection of Roger Wagner.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Remarkable Rarities
  • Dates: #638 - Ended June 23, 2022




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