A Boston-based auction firm has recently sold a handwritten advertisement note by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. The piece of paper, on which the specifications of the Apple-1 computer were written, was auctioned for US$ 175,759.
The note has been described as a "rough draft specification sheet for the Apple-1" with basic technological specifications of Apple’s first computer. The note also has other details such as Jobs’ parents’ home address and his phone number, which were the original headquarters of the Apple Computer Company at the time. Within the advertisement, a price quote is also given for "board only + manual" of US$ 75, which is further described by Jobs in the note as a ‘’real deal’’. The note finishes with a signature by Steve Jobs in all lowercase, dated to 1976.
Apple historian Corey Cohen has confirmed the similarities between this draft and the Apple-1 computer’s first advertisement. This note matches this first advertisement of Apple in the July 1976 issue of Interface Magazine. This advertisement was the company’s public debut and came with a product overview article alongside quotes from Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak, Director of Engineering at Apple. This note is thus for Apple’s first-ever advertisement.
Within the auction package, there are also two original colour glossy Polaroid photographs taken at The Byte Shop in California. These images show the Apple-1 computer board with a keyboard and monitor as well as an Apple-1 computer screen with the Apple Basic program. One of the photos has annotations by Jobs with a humorous note on the image being ‘’fuzzy because camera wiggled’’.
An unnamed childhood friend of Steve Jobs obtained the note and Polaroids while visiting Jobs back in 1976 during the time Apple 1 was in progress.
These items were among several other iconic Apple items that went on sale at the RR Auction. Other items include a signed check from Jobs, Wozniak from 1976 sold for US$ 135,261, and an operational Apple-1 computer signed by Wozniak sold for US$ 233,520. A factory-sealed first-generation 8GB iPhone also sold for US$ 55,999.
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