Steve Jobs’ ‘Lost’ Apple Computer Prototype Built By Wozniak Goes On Auction

Here’s something diehard Apple fans might want to get their hands on: Steve Jobs’ original ‘Apple Computer A’ prototype circuit board that was hand-soldered by Steve Wozniak in 1976.

According to RR Auction, Jobs had used the prototype that same year to demonstrate the Apple-1 to Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, who helmed one of the very first personal computer stores in the world. 

Thanks to the model, which was initially created as a US$40 DIY hobby kit, Apple received its first big order for a fully-assembled computer, allowing it to take the first step on the road to its current status as a global technology giant. 

The board going under the hammer has been matched to images taken by Paul Terrell when he first saw the prototype, resulting in an unexpected discovery, as the Apple-1 model had been considered “lost” up until it was authenticated this year. 

It came into the hands of the auctioneers via its current owner, who had acquired the prototype from Steve Jobs three decades ago. Several of the artifact’s ICs, microprocessor, and other components have been removed from the sockets, and could’ve been used to produce the early Apple-1 computers for sale.

While it may not in the best shape, the circuit board holds even more meaning as it’s believed to have been hand-soldered by Steve Wozniak, who employed an atypical “three handed” technique—holding a wire in one hold, soldering iron in the other, and solder in his mouth—that resulted in “bubbles” being formed at the connections. 

“Few Apple artifacts could be considered as rare, early, or historic as this Apple-1 prototype, which spent many years on the ‘Apple Garage’ property—a site now entwined in the folklore of American business, where two unlikely heroes founded an empire,” said the auction house. 

“Moreover, it is the perfect embodiment of the symbiosis between Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Silicon Valley: the brilliant businessman, the electronics Einstein, and the infrastructure in which they thrived,” it added. 

Bidding for the prototype will end on August 19, 2022, with the current bid standing at US$278,005. Head here for more details.

[via New Atlas and RR Auction, images via RR Auction]