Thread by @mwichary

One of the fascinating things about the 1976 Apple I computer was that it was only sold as a board – you had to bring your own keyboard, screen, and power supply.

That meant every single Apple I was different. Here’s a gallery celebrating some of the most interesting ones.

A lot of wood and old-fashioned TVs remind us this is all happening in mid-to-late 1970s.

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(Here are two more examples.)

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These two had more of an industrial look.

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This Apple was branded by the owner as Apple One+, although I don’t know what that means. The extra chips and the toggle labeled FM make me pause – and there’s a speaker, too?

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On the other hand, some were basically case-less, mounted on whatever surface was nearby.

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…even just a few pegs.

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Some took this in interesting directions, their owners mounting them like you’d install a photo… and this one even came with a keyboard of its successor, Apple II.

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I found the transparent cases particularly attractive, showcasing that the Apple I PCB is so elegant in and of itself (kudos, @stevewoz!).

Here’s one with two “function keys.”

bonhams.com/auctions/24898…

@stevewoz Here’s what I assume is a more modern case, from @LivingComputers Museum in Seattle – a place where you can actually interact with the Apple I!

@stevewoz @LivingComputers And here’s another one from the same museum – “the model that Steve Jobs would bring to potential buyers to demonstrate its capabilities.”

@stevewoz @LivingComputers A few were charming, none more so than one this in a unique case with an amazing wordmark.

@stevewoz @LivingComputers But my favourite bunch were Apple Is mounted in… suitcases, giving them unique portability.


Here’s one of them.

onlineonly.christies.com/s/shoulders-gi…

@stevewoz @LivingComputers Here’s another one, currently residing in Scotland.

@stevewoz @LivingComputers And this last, possibly the most fascinating, “all-in-one” Apple I – coming with a “built-in” tape recorder, and a mini manual.

collection.maas.museum/object/397247

@stevewoz @LivingComputers Out of some 200 Apple Is made, there are about ~60 extant ones we know of. Some volunteers try to keep track of their whereabouts on this website: apple1registry.com

@stevewoz @LivingComputers All of this style reminds me of something very different – the early Soviet/East European home computers, often also in weird, “homely” cases made out of whatever was laying around.

https://twitter.com/mwichary/status/862394033359929345

@stevewoz @LivingComputers There’s just one tiny difference: none of *these* fetches hundreds of thousands dollars in today’s auctions.

google.com/search?q=apple…