An original Apple I computer just hit $475,000 in an auction sale (via Tom's Hardware). The Apple I was conceived as a bare circuit board for which enthusiasts would build their own case, but this unit was one of 50 made for Byte Shop and sold with a natty wooden case. Only nine of the 50 are known to survive today.
Apart from the sheer portent of an original Apple I and the particular rarity of this version (it's thought there were only around 200 Apple I computers ever built, so this machine is in a very rarefied niche, even among Apple I's), the incredible condition of this example and the fact that it's fully functional (as demo'ed in this YouTube video) no doubt contributed to the hefty hammer price.
