Mitch Waite © 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Steve, Me, and the Apple 1
The following actually happened, kind of.
On a chilly spring morning, I found myself eagerly awaiting Steve Jobs' arrival at my houseboat, curious if he'd be as animated as he was during his Apple 1 demonstration at the Homebrew Computer Club. Steve was scheduled to visit my humble abode to examine the weather station I'd built using my Apple 1. At that time, Apple Computer didn't exist, and with Steve being 11 years my junior, I had to constantly remind myself not to pass judgment
The Apple 1 had revolutionized my world like no other piece of technology. I had shelled out $666 to purchase my A1 from the Byte Shop in San Rafael, CA. After assembling the necessary power supply, connecting a keyboard, and plugging in the cassette I/O board, I was in awe of the machine's capabilities, despite the finicky process of loading and saving programs to cassette tapes. When Steve finally arrived and we traversed the rickety boardwalk, he excitedly shared that Woz had discovered a method to generate 16 colors using only two chips. Moreover, he revealed their work on the revolutionary Apple II, destined to replace the Apple 1.
To my surprise, I found myself quite fond of Steve as we climbed onto the roof of my houseboat to showcase the weather vane, anemometer, and ultrasonic tide sensor. "I'm writing a book on computer graphics, and this is one of the examples," I mentioned. Steve admired the weather station and my book, but then he blindsided me with a revelation. "The Apple 1 is a piece of junk; our new Apple II is a groundbreaking advancement. Come down to Cupertino, and you can swap your A1 for our incredible Apple II." He casually mentioned he was launching a new venture called Apple Computer.
A few weeks later, I visited Apple's first office on Bandley Drive. Steve handed me a brand new Apple II but forgot to bring my Apple 1 for the exchange. There's an intriguing story about Steve offering me a job at Apple, but I'll save that for another occasion.
Regarding the Apple 1
Steve believed the A1 had flaws that cast a negative light on Apple Computer. He offered to replace any A1 with an Apple II for owners who returned their units, and many seized the opportunity. I eventually mounted my A1 on my wall as a work of art. Fast forward forty-six years, and only 99 A1s are known to exist, with a functioning Apple 1 valued between $300,000 and $800,000. You can learn more about these Apple 1 computers at this fascinating website: https://www.apple1registry.com/
Interested in Buying One?
I plan to auction off my A1, so if you'd like to be notified of the auction date, please enter your email address below. I'll use this information solely to inform you of the auction date and the auction house managing the sale.
