Vintage Apple-1 Boots up Again After 35 years

[Wiley John Wright]

Some of you may recall the Apple-1 that sold at Christie's auction house for an astounding $211,535. Well, it didn’t end up as a museum piece as many thought it would. No, instead it turned up at a presentation that was held at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy recently. What’s really amazing is the fact that they got it up and running with the help of a little modern technology.

Engineers at the presentation went to great lengths to ensure that the aging Apple-1 would be able to re-boot in complete safety. The presenters weren’t about to take any chances with a system that was built by hand more than 35 years ago. The system restart went smoothly with the help of an oscilloscope and a MacBook Pro. The system then sent a message to a connected NTSC monitor that read, "Hello Polito," a nice little message to the university crowd in attendance.

The original Apple-1 went on sale in July of 1976 for the devilish price of $666.66, because as legend has it, The Woz liked repeating digits. I doubt anyone at the time could have ever imagined that a few decades later a little computer, constructed in a garage, would sell at auction for such a high price.



It may have taken an entire table full of equipment to get the Apple-1 to display a simple text message on screen, but to get to see a little piece of computing history up and running again must have been quite a sight. I know I would’ve liked to see it.



Source: Engadget

[imilad]

i have a brand new sealed iPhone 2G I am planning on selling when I am 50

[Thenextkiller]

i have a brand new sealed iPhone 2G I am planning on selling when I am 50

How olde are you know lmao? But yeah I am saving my ipt 1

[imilad]

How olde are you know lmao? But yeah I am saving my ipt 1

haha... 28

[iliveudie]

i have a brand new sealed iPhone 2G I am planning on selling when I am 50

*22 years later*
You mean all this thing can do is text, call, and surf the web? Who does that anymore?

[earl11]

Sometime in the future, the iPad will be just like the apple-1

[whereswaldo]

How olde are you know lmao? But yeah I am saving my ipt 1

Same

[fklentz]

I still have my first pc, vic20, and my first Apple, an Apple ][e with the 64k upgrade card for a total 128K, the original disk drive (128k floppy) AND the later model duo drive. I could never afford the 8MB HDD (apple sider) that came later it was $900 bucks. Oh, I also have the 300 baud first apple modem, And a 1200 baud that came later.

[RICO_]

i have a brand new sealed iPhone 2G I am planning on selling when I am 50

Will it still power on with the same battery after 20+ years?

What's the un-used shelf life of these batteries?

[iamutman]

Will it still power on with the same battery after 20+ years?

What's the un-used shelf life of these batteries?

If only someone manufactured like some sort of case with a user-replaceable battery built in.

HOLD ON A MINUTE

http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news/763994-detachable-battery-case-why-just-happening.html

[Rob2G]

I still have a working centrinus 610 and box and I have a never opened iMac 1. I am holding on to. The iMac was the revive of apple. It has to be worth something 1 day.

[Cer0]

i have a brand new sealed iPhone 2G I am planning on selling when I am 50

Difference is that this machine started a company and was hand made by an founder. Not a factory line machine.

[Rob2G]

I still have my first pc, vic20, and my first Apple, an Apple ][e with the 64k upgrade card for a total 128K, the original disk drive (128k floppy) AND the later model duo drive. I could never afford the 8MB HDD (apple sider) that came later it was $900 bucks. Oh, I also have the 300 baud first apple modem, And a 1200 baud that came later.

I also have the first apple modem and the first printer also. Man we are geeks.

[coolguy742]

*22 years later*
You mean all this thing can do is text, call, and surf the web? Who does that anymore?

Sent from my iPod touch using ModMyi

[coolguy742]

Difference is that this machine started a company and was hand made by an founder. Not a factory line machine.

Hmm good point young padawan.


Sent from my iPod touch using ModMyi

[Daerid]

My first PC, the TI-99 has to be lying around... Somewhere.

[miatawnt2b]

I seriously doubt that your NIB iPhone 3g's and your shrink-wrapped macbook's are going to be worth crap in 50 years. The only reason the Apple-1 is worth so much is because it's a one of a kind. You guys are holding onto perfect mass-produced electronics that will most likely be worth less in 50 years than the door they prop open. Look at any of the first mass produced transistor radios for proof. I can buy a NIB pocket radio from the early 1960's for round 50 bucks when they were new for $25. Adjusted for inflation, today's cost of that radio new is over $100. Mass produced items do not increase in value... especially those that were owned by everyone and their brother in the first place. Will it be cool and geeky? You bet. Will it be worth anything? Doubtful.

-J

[SoCal Railroader]

Very cool! 1976 was a milestone year for me too, I started Kindergarten

My first PC, the TI-99 has to be lying around... Somewhere.

It was mine too, and I still have it up and running in my room. I need to find the Voice Module for it though, I had one (we got it free from buying some programs), but I have no idea where it is now.

[TTGator]

Mass produced items do not increase in value... especially those that were owned by everyone and their brother in the first place.

-J

Tell that to the Star Wars figurine owners...

[feidhlim1986]

This is why UK Engineering Students should be talking about Woz and not Jobs.