Leaving a legacy The early success of the Apple-1 in 1976 paved the way for the introduction of the Apple II in the spring of 1977. In Apple’s 1980 IPO prospectus, the company described its progress: ‘In April 1977 the Company introduced the Apple II computer mainframe which was similar to the Apple I but incorporated additional circuitry and a keyboard, and was packaged in a plastic housing.’ In other words, the Apple II built upon the Apple-1 to become an even more capable, more consumer-ready machine. Between 1977 and 1980, on the sales of the Apple II and its peripherals, accessories, and software, Apple Computer’s yearly revenue grew from $774,000 to $118 million, making it one of the great growth stories of Silicon Valley. The Apple-1 is not only a marvel of early computing ingenuity, but the product that launched what is today one of the most valuable and successful companies in the world.
From the board to the block In addition to the original Apple-1 board, RR Auction is proud bring four rare Steve Jobs signed items to the auction block: a 1982 Time Magazine cover, a 1982 Apple annual report, a 1982 banquet program, and a Macintosh Plus signed by Jobs and nine members of his team. Steve Jobs was notoriously reluctant to sign autographs, generally only signing at conferences or with other members of his team. The scarcity of his signature has made it one of the most coveted and valuable autographs of the modern age. These remarkable items represent the continuing technological legacy that began with the introduction of the Apple-1.