An original Apple-1 computer was sold at auction on Saturday, fetching a record €515,000 (US$671,400).
The computer is one of approximately 50 of the original Apple-1 computers which are still in existence, with roughly 200 devices having been built by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs’ parents’ garage in 1976.
It is thought the unit sold on Saturday is one of only six computers still capable of functioning.
Having originally been put on sale in 1976 for US$666.66, the selling price of the Apple-1 has rocketed over recent years. In 1999, an Apple-1 reportedly sold for US$50,000, a year ago a device sold for US$374,500, while a third sold for US$640,000 at the end of last year.
The successful bidder in Saturday’s auction – which was held in Cologne, Germany – is an anonymous Asian buyer, while the seller was identified only as American.
