'Woz' wants $100,000 for Mac 128K prototype

A functional Macintosh 128k prototype has been put up for sale on eBay, complete with rare "Twiggy" 5.25in floppy drive, original keyboard, mouse and power lead. The only non-authentic thing here is that the seller, who calls himself 'Woz', isn't actually Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak - a fact he's happy to highlight - but …

[Anonymous Coward]

...hmmm

..ya can't beat a 5 1/4 " floppy...

[Audrey S. Thackeray]

Re: ...hmmm

Although he seems to have stuck his floppy in the wrong way round.

[Aaron Em]

'Wrong way round'

No, it's a Twiggy disk -- the label goes down the side, and there's a media window on both sides of the spindle. Doesn't actually look much like the 5.25" disks we're used to.

[Audrey S. Thackeray]

Re: 'Wrong way round'

"No, it's a Twiggy disk"

Ta.

Looks like a stupid arrangement - I'd forever be putting my thumb on the disk itself.

[Audrey S. Thackeray]

Re: 'Wrong way round'

Although I do see that the indent on the right hand side of the drive would help avoid this when taking them out at least.

[Aaron Em]

"I'd forever be putting my thumb on the disk"

Yep -- part of the reason it didn't catch on, I think; whatever the merits or flaws of the format for its own sake, people already used to conventional 5 1/4" disks (i.e., most of them) weren't going to have good results.

[TeeCee]

Re: 'Wrong way round'

You mean Apple made something prone to "holding it wrong" errors back then too?

[toffer99]

Re: ...hmmm

Unless it's with an 8" floppy.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ...hmmm

I'm constantly beating my 5 1/4 floppy, damned internet porn.

[Anonymous Coward]

Junk

I have an Atari 800 in my loft with a 5 1/4 floppy drive and touch tablet. Steve Jobs worked for Atari for a bit... How much should I put it up for sale on eBay for ?

[Graham Dresch]

Signatures ?

All 128K and 512k Macs had the signatures inside the case.

[Ol'Peculier]

Re: Signatures ?

They did - I've got one in the loft, the college I worked for had all the Macs upgraded which involved a new motherboard and new case - the ports were in different places - and one ended up in the back of my car.

Wish the rest of them had too, you don't see them on eBay very often...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Signatures ?

The Mac Plus also has signatures, as I recently observed while fixing my own.

It is an interesting piece of history. If it is the same Mac, it wasn't left in a bar, apparently the history is thus:

"I bought it through an online ad. The elderly gentleman I purchased it off of is a retired engraver. The company he worked for was hired to make some award medallions for a ceremony at Apple. It would have been some point in 1983 I personally think, but he really couldn't recall. They sent over this Mac to use as a model for him to work off of. When the job was done, they tried to make arrangements to send it back. Apparently after several attempts, Apple just told them to keep it.

He knew what he had, and knew the price he was asking was low, but didn't want to deal with trying to market it. He was really just happy it was going to someone who knew what it was and would appreciate it."

( http://www.applefritter.com/content/macintosh-128k-prototype-twiggy-drive#comment-63578 )

At the very least, if it is a protohack, it is an interesting variant of the compact.

[Ivan Headache]

Re: Signatures ?

I seem to remember that the Apple Colour Stylewriter (neé Canon) range of printers had signatures on their inside too.

[jason 7]

Re: Signatures ?

I should still have a 512k Mac in my parents loft with the extra external 3.5" drive.

Was a fun machine to use but was a bit pricey to buy stuff for when you are 17 and don't have a Saturday job.

It was my last Apple PC. No regrets for not going back.

[Anonymous Coward]

Did an Apple employee leave the prototype in a bar?

I expect he'll be getting a call from the Apple police.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wish I had 100k to waste i would then take a dump on it and give it to mythbusters to smash to peices in a hilarious manner.

[Snapper]

'Peices'

Hate, stupidity and an inability to spell. Do you use a Windows PC by any chance, young man?

[Stuart Elliott]

Seller

Perhaps he should have used the nomme-de-plume "woz not woz".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Seller

Or even 'Wish I wuz Woz"

[Aaron Em]

"Wozn't"

Done.

[Andy 70]

£££

i bet someone pays that kings ransom aswell.

100 grand? 100 quid would be more like it! ;) 100 quid well spent though...

[wibble001]

Not suprised....

Not suprised nobody has bid on it, he's taken the cover off; that's the warranty voided right there!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not suprised....

On a 29 year old computer I'd be surprised if it had a warranty.

Mind you, I've heard of people taking vintage macs to apple stores and getting service, so stranger things have happened.

[Monkey Bob]

Re: Not suprised....

"Mind you, I've heard of people taking vintage macs to apple stores and getting service, so stranger things have happened."

It's almost worth $100k just to take it into an Apple store & try!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not suprised....

If you have that amount of ding-ding to spend on a museum piece, you might as well have a laugh at the local Genius Bar.

[JEDIDIAH]

Re: Not suprised....

Sure. Why not. You likely get that level of service from your Bentley dealer.

No joke.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not suprised....

I take my 13y/o Honda to a Honda dealer and they provide me with 1st class service and due to the age charge less than a backstreet mechanic would!

[Cazzo Enorme]

Any takers for the broken LC II in my loft? Though not.

[Anonymous Coward]

Try some of the vintage mac forums like 68kmla, you might be surprised!

[sisk]

$100,000 for a 29 year old machine? Typical overpriced Mac.

[Irongut]

Probably still cheaper than if you converted the original price from back then dollars to now dollars.

[Anonymous Coward]

converted the original price ?

It's a prototype my dear. So I guess you could say it's priceless, to coin a term from a certain credit card company !

[stu 4]

Retrobrite

That is all