Apple-1 computers annual inspection & Apple-1 computer at auction.

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Fridays are always interesting working with Grayson Van Beuren. Grayson visits the museum Friday,s as part of his Graduate Independent Study project. This week we brought the Apple 1 computers from the bank vault to the museum for an annual inspection. Apple-1 at auction next month -- see story at end of blog.

Click on photo to enlarge 

Apple 1 Computer 

Grayson giving an Apple-1 a good visual exam. The Apple 1 computers were operational the last time they were powered up however we have no reason apply power for each annual inspection. It will be an easy task to make them operational when needed. The logic of the computer is not complex and problems are easy to repair.  Steve Wozniak's design of the Apple 1 uses a minimum of IC chips. A very clever design.

Apple 1 Computer

Grayson and I gave all four Apple-1 computers a good inspection and found them continue to be in excellent condition.  These computers are on Mike Willegal's "Apple 1 Registry" as numbers 13,22,42, & 55 in the Registry list "Summary of Apple 1s".

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Bob Luther's Apple-1 and Ron Wayne's proofs of Apple documents to be sold at Christie's Auction December 11,2014.

LR- Ron Wayne & Steve Wozniak - credit Bob Luther

Ron Wayne & Steve Wozniak , Apple's remaining co-founders, met Monday November 17th 2014 to talk about the growing interest in Apple memorabilia.  Ron Wayne was one of the original 3 owners of the Apple Company. Ron sold his 10 percent interest in the company for about $800 12 days after the owners agreements were signed. The Ron Wayne story is not generally known by the public.

Bob Luther arranged this meeting  to help Wayne sell his original Apple working proofs . These proofs and Bob Luther's Apple-1 will be sold by Christie's Auction December 11, 2014. You can see part Ron Wayne's interview in Bob Luther's Book "the First Apple" in my blog.

Here is interesting video of Ron Wayne telling how he was involved in the founding of the Apple Computer company.
                   

David Larsen

Christie's auction of Bob Luthers  Apple-1 computer and Ron Wayne's working proofs is only 50 days after Bonham's auction of an Apple-1 computer for $905,000 This will be interesting - what is your prediction of the selling price ??

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   
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Vintage computers - "iWoz" Steve Wozniak's book by Wozniak & Smith - My comments - a good read

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Anyone having an interest in the Apple Computer company and how it all started will really enjoy this book. Steve's book has been in print for 8 years - if you missed it now is a good time do your read. Their are many reasons for the tremendous success of Apple however it all started with Steve Wozniak

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designing the Apple 1 microcomputer.  Their were many good breaks as the company developed and sometimes just being in the right place at the right time was a big help. Steve Jobs convinced Wozniak to sell his Apple 1 computer and was the marketing guru that made the company grow to what it is today and those first months of the start up are very interesting.

Did you know that the first partnership of the Apple company included 3 people not just the 2 Steve's. Ron Wayne was in on the  original official founding and actually is the one who wrote the partnership agreement and at that time owned 10 percent of the Apple company? Only 12 days after the partnership Ron dropped out and received about $800 for his interest. CNN story about Ron Wayne.

Wozniak as Woz

Steve Wozniak ( Steve often goes by just Woz ) designed the Apple 1 and Apple ll totally on his own and also wrote the initial software monitor and Basic program.  Steve was and is a very smart and clever designer.  Woz wanted to give the plans of the Apple 1 for free and in fact did so at Homebrew Computer Club meetings. Of course without the Apple 1 their would be no Apple Company today.

The first sale made by Steve Jobs was just a few days after the original partnership was signed and he sold 50 Apple 1's to Paul Terrell owner of Byte Shop. It could be that without this sale their would be no Apple Computer Company today.

Zaltair computer - steve wozniak

 "Zaltair Computer"      A really great practical joke that Steve Wozniak  pulled of at the First West Coast Computer Faire in April 1977.  Steve says in his book "iWoz" that he likes to do practical jokes and have someone else get blamed for doing the joke. In the case of the Zaltair he did a very good job and did not get accused of being the originator of the joke in fact Gary Ingram at Processor Technology was the one accursed of doing the hoax. The hoax was directed toward the Ed Roberts and his Mitts Altair 8800 microcomputer. Steve called his friend Adam Schoolsky to come help with this hoax.

More about the Zaltair.




   Woz with Apple 1

Photo by Dan Sokol

I recommend reading the book to learn in Woz's words about the start up of the Apple company and his own story. It is worth a second read if you like history and these fascinating story's told by Woz. The book "iWoz" published in 2006 and was on the New York Times best seller list.

David Larsen

I had the opportunity to read this book for a second time and I learned many new interesting story's  about Wozniak and the Apple Computer Company - a good read

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   
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Vintage Apple 1 Computer sells for over $600,000 at Breker auction 5-25-13

                                                                   Original »Apple 1 Computer«, 1976

This is the sensational 1st product of today's highest-valued company ever. This »Apple 1« set on offer here is 100 % authentic and in full working condition! Already a legendary milestone from the  dynamic dawn of the personal computer age! Sensational World Record Price by Auction Team Breker set on 25 May 2013: Euro 516.461,- / US$ 671,400.- (!) / £ 441,000.-

                                      The above from Breker web site.

Bob Luther

Bob Luther - Apple 1 owner and author of his new book "The First Apple" - he writes about  his and other Apple 1's. Bob was able to attended the Breker Auction  and had a great time.  Bob has done some very interesting research and interviews with the folks still living that started the Apple Computer Company and built the Apple 1 computers in Steve Jobs  parents home.

Ron Wayne

Bob traveled to California to interview Ron Wayne one of the original founders of the Apple Computer Company along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.  Ron is 79 years old and most folks do not know he was part of the original Apple partnership.

 Interview by Bloomburg TV about Bob Luther's Apple 1 Computer. 

Bob has made arrangements for Ron to sign photos of his computer and a book plate.  You can get some of these original signatures of Ron Wayne by participating it the Kickstarter program to help publish Mr. Luther's book.

"Apple co-founder Ron Wayne has worked with me on his part of the story of the beginning of Apple and his time with Jobs. And he has designed the bookplate, to commemorate the moment of the birth of the original Apple partnership. I did have those printed and Ron has already signed some of them, along with some photos. He's 79 years old, so although he seems to be in fine health, I wanted to make sure that we could deliver on that part of the project, so his signatures are partially completed." Quote From Bob Luther on Kickstarter.

 "Sold - Antique Apple 1 Brings $671K" By Gregg Keizer at 'Computer World'

" Yet, Apple was not the first Personal Computer on the market. The seeds for its success had already been sown by other pioneering machines such as Nat Wadsworth’s 1973 "Scelbi-8H" (estimate Euro 15,000 – 20,000 / US$ 20,000 – 25,000). The "Scelbi" ticked all the boxes for commercial viability: it was built around the first Intel 8-Bit microprocessor (the so-called "CPU-on-a-chip"), within the budget of an average person, and available either assembled or in kit form. It was the first truly "Personal Computer"(!). Yet, it was a financial failure; only 200 units were produced, and only 3 (!!) have survived today !!!" This information about the Scelbi is from the
                                    The Specialists in »Technical Antiques & Fine Toys«

 I am happy to say we have one of the Scelbi microcomputers in our "Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum".

Here is opportunity to get one of first copies of Bob Luther's Apple 1 book and  original signature of Ron Wayne .   Go here Kickstarter

This is really exciting for me as an Apple 1 owner. After reviewing the information about Bob Luther's Apple 1 I realized I had been offered this computer years ago by the law firm working on settling some litigation by owner of the Apple 1. I still have the letters from the law firm but I did feel I could pay the price the law firm was asking.  I am sure happy to see this Apple 1 computer surface and that Bob Luther as the current owner.

 Please go to my Museum Page on Facebook and do a like for me.  Thank You for the help.


The weather here in Floyd Virginia has turned warm and sunny - just great. Our 3rd Annual Bluegrass Festival at Chantilly farm was really well attended last Saturday. It was fun working with all the musicians and our lead band ' Doyle Lawson and the Quicksilver's. It was real exciting to see his big bus roll into Chantilly Farm. Now I can return to some work with my 'Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum' 
"by David Larsen" KK4WW Computer Collector/Historian