A rare, fully functional “Hatfield” Apple-1 computer recently sold for a record-breaking $1.15 million at auction. The historic machine features Steve Wozniak’s signature and a 1978 letter from Steve Jobs. It remains one of the few surviving examples from Apple’s earliest days, complete with original documents and accessories.
A rare, fully functional Apple-1 computer has sold for $1.15 million (approximately Rs 10.9 crore) at auction, setting a record for a commercially released unit of Apple’s first computer. The machine, known as the “Hatfield” Apple-1, attracted intense interest from collectors and went under the hammer after a 28-minute bidding battle between two buyers.
The sale is particularly notable as Apple marks the 50th anniversary of its founding. The computer is among a small number of surviving examples from the company’s earliest days and carries signatures and documents that add to its historical significance.
Why This Apple-1 Computer Is So Special?
The computer’s motherboard bears the signature of Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder who designed and built the Apple-1 in 1976. While Wozniak was responsible for the machine’s engineering, Steve Jobs helped market the product and turn the early venture into a business.
The auction lot also included a typed letter from Jobs, dated 1978 and addressed to the computer’s original owner, Fred Hatfield. In the letter, Jobs offered Hatfield an opportunity to exchange the Apple-1 for an Apple II motherboard, along with an additional payment of $400.
Hatfield ultimately kept the original computer, allowing it to survive as a rare artefact from Apple’s early history.
Original Documents and Accessories Included
Beyond the computer itself, the winning lot featured several historical items, including the original operating manual, additional hardware components and a typed invitation to join the “Apple I Owners Club”.
The machine is listed as number 48 in the Apple-1 Registry. According to reports citing the registry, fewer than 75 verified Apple-1 computers are known to survive, making working examples particularly desirable among collectors.
A Record-Breaking Auction Result
The final price of $1.15 million marks a record for a commercially released Apple-1 computer, according to auction house Bonhams. The result exceeded the machine’s pre-auction estimate of $500,000 to $800,000, following the prolonged contest between two bidders.
Bonhams described the sale as an exceptional result and highlighted the computer’s importance in the history of personal computing. The combination of a working machine, Wozniak’s signature and Jobs’ letter helped distinguish it from other vintage computers.
From a Garage Project to a Tech Landmark
The Apple-1 was introduced in 1976, when personal computers were still a relatively new concept. Jobs and Wozniak worked together during the company’s early days, with the first machines helping establish the foundation for what would become one of the world’s most influential technology companies.
Wozniak later recalled the excitement of seeing a character typed on a keyboard appear on a screen, describing the experience in his memoir, iWoz, as a pivotal moment in computing history.
Nearly five decades later, the auction of the Hatfield Apple-1 demonstrates how early technology products can become valuable historical collectibles. For collectors, its significance lies not only in its rarity and functionality, but also in the direct connection it offers to Apple’s founding era.