Rare, working Apple I computer heads to auction

A piece of Apple history is headed to auction... again. The "Hatfield" Apple I computer, which sold for $671,400 in 2013, will be back on the block this fall. This time, auction house Bonhams expects it to sell for between $500,000 and $800,000 — just slightly higher than its original retail price of $666.66.

This particular Apple I is nicknamed for its original owner, Fred Hatfield, who bought it during Apple's inaugural year. The still-working machine is listed at No. 48 on the Apple I Registry. There are reportedly fewer than 75 surviving Apple I computers today, and even fewer that are still operational. The motherboard is signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who designed the computer.

It's hard to see the Apple I as a consumer-friendly product by today's standards. After all, buyers had to supply their own power supply, keyboard and monitor. It had a whopping 4KB of RAM. But in the mid-1970s, a machine that came with a fully assembled motherboard and built-in video output was as approachable as a computer got. Only around 200 Apple I computers were produced.

Today, the Apple I is valued more for its historical significance and scarcity than its status as a world-changing product. It wasn't until the Apple II that the company broke away from the hobbyist market to become the household name it is today.

Alongside the autographed Apple I, the well-heeled buyer will also receive a letter signed by Steve Jobs. In addition to being a grade-A collector's item in its own right, the letter illustrates that, in the '70s, Jobs apparently handled at least some of the company's customer service.

Hatfield had contacted Apple to complain about the lack of software for the first-generation computer. In the 1978 letter, Jobs responded with a trade-in offer. "This letter is confirm our conversation of January 16th," Jobs wrote. "You are hereby authorized to send to Apple Computer Inc. your Apple I (without memory) and a check for $400.00 and in return are to be sent an Apple Il 4K board. We hope to be hearing from you soon."

Hatfield declined and later sold the Apple I to a collector for $40,000. That's a fraction of what it's worth today, but at least the original owner used the money to pay for good dinners and nights of music in New Orleans.

Bonhams plans to take the Apple I on a tour before the October 14 auction. The auction house will showcase it in Los Angeles from September 9 to 11, Boston from September 21 to 23, San Francisco from September 30 to October 1, and finally New York during its October sale.