The Apple-1, Apple’s first computer, has sold at auction for $1.15 million, about Tk 14 crore (at Tk 123 to the dollar). The rare, fully working computer set a world record with the sale.
According to reports in international media, two buyers bid fiercely against each other for about 28 minutes for the computer, known as the “Hatfield”. In the end its price reached $1.15 million.
The computer also carries great historical weight. It bears the signature of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who designed its hardware in 1976. The other co-founder, Steve Jobs, played a key part in selling and marketing it.
A letter written and signed by Steve Jobs was auctioned with the computer. Written in 1978, it was addressed to the computer’s first owner, Fred Hatfield, and offered to upgrade him to the new Apple-2. The lot also included the computer’s original manual, various hardware parts and a typed invitation to join a club for Apple-1 owners.
According to the Apple-1 Registry, the computer is listed as number 48. Fewer than 75 computers of this model are believed to survive worldwide.
A milestone in the history of personal computing
Released in 1976, the Apple-1 was Apple’s first product and is regarded as an important milestone in the development of the personal computer. Five decades on, it is still highly prized by collectors. Its rarity, its place in the history of technology and its link to entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak add to its appeal.
The auction house Bonhams said that, in the year Apple marks its 50th anniversary, the record sale had once again highlighted the historical and commercial value of the company’s early products.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report