New York. Come anticipato (post), l’asta Bonhams la “Storia della Scienza” si è conclusa con la vendita di un computer Apple1 per più di $905.000, quasi il doppio della sua stima, il che lo rende il “personal” più prezioso e caro della storia. L’ offerta vincente è andata a un rappresentante del Henry Ford Museum che ha sollevato la paletta dopo aver duellato a lungo con un offerente al telefono.
Cassandra Hatton, la specialist Bonhams ha commentato: “La condizione dell’Apple1 è eccellente, quindi c’era da aspettarselo un risultato del genere. Siamo entusiasti di aver infranto il record di vendita e siamo ancora più entusiasti del fatto che stia andando al Henry Ford Museum”.
L’Apple1 è ampiamente riconosciuto come il pioniere della rivoluzione dei personal computer, essendo il primo personal computer preassemblato mai venduto al mondo. Questo esemplare è uno dei 50 costruiti a mano per il ByteShop da Steve Wozniak nel garage di Steve Jobs nell’estate del 1976. A quel tempo solo una manciata di persone poteva intuire l’utilità di quell’archetipo di personal computer.
Centinaia di offerenti, per lo più provenienti dagli Stati Uniti ed Europa, hanno partecipato a questa asta. La prossima asta Bonhams per “Storia della Scienza” si terrà nel mese di ottobre il 2015.
http://www.bonhams.com/press_release/17720/
New York – The History of Science auction at Bonhams New York ended with the sale of the Apple-1 computer, which sold for $905,000, almost twice its high estimate, making it the world’s most valuable relic from the computer age. The winning bid went to a smiling representative from the Henry Ford Museum who triumphantly raised the paddle after battling it out with another interested party on the phone.
Cassandra Hatton, the senior specialist in charge of the auction comments on the success of the sale of the Apple-1, “The provenance on the Apple-1 is excellent and the condition is outstanding, so it was not surprising that it did so well. We are thrilled to have broken the world record for its sale, and are even more thrilled that it is going to a wonderful new home at the Henry Ford Museum.”
In addition to the beautifully intact motherboard, this Apple-1 comes with a vintage keyboard with pre-7400 series military spec chips, a vintage Sanyo monitor, a custom vintage power supply in wooden box, as well as two vintage tape-decks. The lot additionally includes ephemera from the Cincinnati AppleSiders such as their first newsletter “Poke-Apple” from February of 1979 and a video recording of Steve Wozniak’s keynote speech at the 1980 “Applevention.”
The Apple-1 is widely acknowledged as the herald of the personal computer revolution, being the first pre-assembled personal computer ever sold. This example is one of 50 hand-built for the ByteShop by Steve Wozniak in the summer of 1976 in Steve Jobs’ garage (or possibly his sister’s bedroom). At the time, only a handful of people could conceive of how a personal computer might be considered useful, let alone desirable. Now, not even 40 years later, it boggles the imagination to think of life without them.
Hundreds of bidders participated in this auction, a large majority coming from the United States and Europe. The next History of Science sale will be held in October 2015.
meridianae 