Landmark »Apple 1« Computer at Auction

Köln (ots) -

- Cross reference:
Picture is available via epa european pressphoto agency
(http://www.epa.eu) and (http://www.presseportal.de/pm/107018/)

It was a classic rags to riches story. Two college dropouts from
California who founded the world's highest-valued company. Steve Jobs
was introduced to Steve Wozniak in 1969 and 'Woz' and Jobs became
friends while working for Hewlett-Packard in 1970.

By 1976 Wozniak was refining his own computer design. The Altair
8800 had just made the cover of Popular Electronics and Jobs quickly
realised the potential of his friend's invention. Apple Inc. was
established in April 1976 and the first order of 50 computers was
assembled in the Jobs' family garage and delivered to the Byte Shop
for $500 per unit.

»Apple 1« was the first ready-made personal computer. Admittedly
the buyer still had to provide the keyboard and monitor, but as
Wozniak explained to enthusiasts at the Homebrew Computer Club in
July 1976, his design allowed the user to work on a "human-typable
keyboard instead of a stupid, cryptic front panel with a bunch of
lights and switches".

Of the 200 »Apple 1« computers ever produced, just 43 have
survived, and of these only six in working order ("Apple 1 Registry"
by Mike Willegal). One was sold for a record $ 374,500 in June 2012
in New York, a second one of the 'six' is being offered now by
Auction Team Breker in Germany on 24 November 2012.

The Cologne-based auctioneer has been holding record-breaking
sales of 'Science and Technology' for 25 years. According to founder
Uwe Breker, this is the first fully working »Apple 1« offered
publically in Europe, and the only example with the original period
peripherals - transformer, Sony monitor and Datanetics ASCII keyboard
- to have appeared so far. He comments, ....... there is a
long-established market for antique 'Scientific Instruments', whereas
technology from the dawn of the computer age is attracting a great
new generation of collectors."

See www.breker.com for details of the auction and
www.youtube.com/AuctionTeamBreker for the 7-minute demo-video of the
»Apple 1« in action.

In addition to the media attention around »Apple« products
(especially the early ones), two motion pictures about the life of
Steve Jobs have been announced for the end of the year, one of which
(by Sony Pictures) stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs!

Contact:
Uwe H. Breker, Tel. 02236-3843420