Steve Jobs’ rare handwritten ad for Apple-1 sells for a whopping price

A handwritten advertisement by Apple founder Steve Jobs for the Apple-1 Computer was recently sold for an impressive $175,759 (approximately Rs5.3 crore), as per Boston-based RR Auction.

The ad gives an insight into the early days of Apple and the visionary mind and entrepreneurial foresight of Steve Jobs, who sparked a technological revolution.

The handwritten advertisement sheet, acquired by the consignor during a visit to Steve Jobs’ garage in the same year, bears Jobs’ full signature in lowercase print, “steven jobs.”

It features contact information, including his parents’ home address and phone number—historically, the original headquarters of the Apple Computer Company.

The document outlined the technical details of the Apple-1 – a computer ahead of its time.

Steve Jobs’ handwritten note describes the computer’s features, including power supplies, 8K bytes of RAM, an entire CRT terminal with keyboard input, composite video output, and expandability up to 65K via an edge connector.

Interestingly, Jobs indicated a preference for the 6501 or 6502 microprocessor due to the presence of BASIC programming. He even provided the exact count of integrated circuits (ICs) used, emphasizing its potential for growth and expandability.

The advertisement also features two Polaroid photographs taken at The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California. One of the pictures shows a fully assembled Apple-1 board, complete with a keyboard and monitor.

The other image captures an Apple-1 computer screen displaying an Apple Basic program. An annotation by Jobs reads, “Fuzzy because camera wiggled.”

The document’s historical significance is further confirmed by its alignment with the original Apple-1 advertisement, which was published in the July 1976 issue of Interface Magazine.

Apple historian Corey Cohen validated the document’s authenticity, noting that the technical specifications outlined in the handwritten draft perfectly match those of the original ad.

In the same issue, R.S. Jones wrote the product review titled “Comparing Apples and Oranges.” The article featured quotes from Jobs and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Steve Jobs concluded the advertisement by saying that Apple-1 was “a rare deal,” as the board and the manual were quoted for $75.