By 3 News online staff
A rare working version of the first computer Apple ever made, the Apple 1, has sold for close to half a million dollars.
Only 200 of the hand-built machines were ever sold, and it is believed there are fewer than 50 still in existence.
The selling price of NZ$478,175 was more than double auction house Sotheby's initial estimate.
For their money, the buyer gets an Apple 1 motherboard and the original manuals – no case, power supply, monitor or anything else essential to using the machine – just like how they were originally sold.
The Apple 1 went on sale in 1976 for US$666.66, and had 4K of RAM memory, which could be expanded. Each one was hand-built by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
A hand-written memo from Apple's other co-founder, Steve Jobs, sold for US$27,500. It was written in 1974 when Jobs worked at Atari, and detailed how the company could improve its World Cup football game. Jobs was 19 at the time.
3 News