BOSTON, MASS.- An extremely rare fully functional Apple-1 computer sold for $458,711, according to Boston-based RR Auction.

The Apple-1 was originally conceived by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by electronics hobbyists, their initial market being Palo Alto Homebrew Computer Club. Seeking a larger audience, Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first personal computer stores in the world. Aiming to elevate the computer beyond the realm of the hobbyist, Terrell agreed to purchase 50 Apple-1 computers, but only if they were fully assembled. The Apple-1 thus became one of the first computers which did not require soldering by the end-user. Altogether, over a span of about ten months, Jobs and Wozniak produced about 200 Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them.

This Apple-1 computer was acquired by the SoftWarehouse, a computer store/franchise in Western Michigan, in the 1980s as part of a trade for a newer IBM machine. It was subsequently displayed in the store in a custom-made museum style case, before being placed into storage.

The computer was restored to its original, operational state in June 2019 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen. Cohen evaluated the current condition of the unit as 8.0/10, and the most remarkable aspect of this Apple-1 computer is that it is documented to be fully operational.

"The Apple-1 is not only a marvel of early computing ingenuity but the product that launched what is today one of the most valuable and successful companies in the world," said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction."Steve Jobs signed memorabilia and early products like the Apple 1, continues to attract interest from a worldwide audience of loyal followers of the Apple brand.”

Highlights from the sale include, but are not limited by:

• Steve Jobs signed contract for design of the Apple II, among items from the collection of product design engineer Jerrold C. Manock sold for $46,278.

• Steve Jobs signed Apple internal Bonus Memo from 1983 sold for $15,307.

• Steve Jobs signed Macintosh PowerBook 190cs sold for $12,671.

• Apple II advertising poster featuring a colorful ‘rainbow,' sold for $2,117.

• Apple Logo neon sign featuring the classic multicolored 'bitten' Apple sold for $1,915.

• Apple 'Think Different' watch released by Apple Computer in 1998 for their Think Different campaign sold for $1,375.

The Steve Jobs Auction from RR Auction began on March 5 and concluded on March 12.