El 4: First Apple Computer Could Fetch Half Million in Auction

An Apple 1 computer, the low-powered PC that started it all for the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, co-founder Steve Wozniak and the then very new Apple Computers, is up for grabs on May 25. All you need is somewhere north of a half a million dollars.

The still-working computer goes to the highest bidder at the German auction house Auction Team Breker. According to a release, the system is part of a wide-ranging auction of "Firsts" that includes a MITS Altair 8800, a Nat Wadsworth's 1973 Scelbi-8H (the first Intel 8-bit system) and a mechanical computer, the Pascaline.

The virtually hand-built Apple 1, though, is the true star item here. It was, more or less, hand-built in 1976 by Steve Wozniak. In the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, the duo introduced the new computer at a meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club, where Wozniak explained one of the key differences from competing, early PCs: It has "a human-typable keyboard instead of a stupid, cryptic front panel with a bunch of lights and switches."

Jobs and Wozniak sold just a few hundred of the computers, including 50 units to the Byte Shop, but according to Auction Team Breker only six remain in existence.

Perhaps that would account for the astronomical price. Of course, the Breker auction house didn't pull that number out of thin air. They recently auctioned off another one of the remaining Apple 1's for $640,000. Back in 2010, an Apple 1 sold at Christie's auction house in London for $210,000.

Thinking of bidding on the Apple 1, but worried it might work look or work as advertised? Watch Auction Team Breker's video below to see the Apple I in action.

Bonus: The 25 Best Free iPad Apps

1. Skype for iPad

Skype for iPad has a well-designed interface that makes it easy and fun to keep in touch with others. The app is a must-have for those who want to use their iPads' video function to its fullest.

Image courtesy of Skype
2. The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel's beautiful app is one of the most-downloaded in the App Store, and its features include regularly updated forecasts, push alerts, weather news and gorgeous HD images.

Image courtesy of The Weather Channel
3. Netflix

If you aren't using Netflix on your iPad, you're doing it all wrong. The app is great for watching new releases and your favorite shows, whether it's on the go or while you're winding down after work.

Image courtesy of Netflix
4. Feedly

With Feedly, It's easy to read and share content from around the web. The fast-loading cards make it simple to browse content, and your settings and favorites are saved across all platforms.

Image courtesy of Feedly
5. Chrome

Chrome is one the best and most popular web browsers available, and the same goes for mobile devices. If you sign into your account, you can sync your open tabs, bookmarks and passwords between your devices.

Image courtesy of Chrome
6. Pocket

Pocket lets you save web content to read later, which you can read offline. The app is especially handy in places where you don't have access to Wi-Fi.

Image courtesy of Pocket
7. Google Search

The Google Search app is more than just a simple search engine. With Google Now, you get the information you want when you need it, including weather alerts, the quickest routes to work and more.

Image courtesy of Google
8. Paper

Winner of "App of the Year 2012," Paper increases your productivity by allowing you to jot down notes, sketches, illustrations, drawings and diagrams. You're able to purchase additional tools within the app itself.

Image courtesy of Paper
9. TED

The Ted app gives you instant access to more than 1,400 Ted Talks from the world's most brilliant minds. You can make your own playlists and even download videos to watch offline.

Image courtesy of Ted
10. Snapseed

There are several photo apps available on the iPad, but Snapseed is one of the best (and it won Best Mobile Photo App of 2012 from the Technical Image Press Association). With Snapseed, you can easily adjust, edit and share your photos.

Image courtesy of Snapseed
11. Evernote

With Evernote, you can take notes, make to-do lists, take photos and record voice reminders. The app lets you sync everything across your devices and make each item searchable.

Image courtesy of Evernote
12. eBay

The eBay app lets you sell, browse, purchase and bid on items from your iPad. You'll find advanced search capabilities, seamless scrolling and high-resolution photos. You can also customize your homescreen and share items with your friends via social media, email and text messaging. With this app, there's no need to use eBay's web version again.

Image courtesy of eBay
13. Zeebox

Zeebox's iPad app immerses you in the social TV experience. It's a platform for social interaction, content discovery and getting extra information about your favorite shows.

Image courtesy of Zeebox
14. Waze

Waze is a community-based traffic and navigation app with more than 40 million users. Drivers generate up-to-date information on traffic and road conditions, helping you get to your destination quicker and more efficiently.

Image courtesy of Waze
15. Calculator for iPad

The iPad doesn't come with a native calculator app, making the free Calculator for iPad app a must-have. It combines functions for quick computations and a full scientific calculator, and you can even choose from several themes.

Image courtesy of Calculator for iPad
16. Flipboard

Flipboard's tagline is "your personal magazine." The app has been one of the most popular social news apps since its launch in 2010. With Flipboard on your iPad, you can keep up with everything that's happening on the web, tailoring it to your own interests.

Image courtesy of Flipboard
17. Kindle

You don't need an Amazon Kindle device in order to read Kindle ebooks. The Kindle iPad app gives you access to more than 1,000,000 ebooks, and the Whispersync technology keeps your page for you (and any notes, bookmarks, etc.) across devices.

Image courtesy of Amazon Kindle
18. Mint

Mint lets you easily manage your personal finances, bringing together information from all of your accounts in one place. You can see your transactions, manage budgets and view graphs of where your money goes (a feature exclusive for iPad).

Image courtesy of Mint
19. Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2 is one of the top 25 most-downloaded apps of all time. The 2013 update is a fun game filled to the brim with adventure, and the graphics look great on the iPad.

Image courtesy of Temple Run 2
20. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop can cost you hundreds of dollars, but the Photoshop Express app for iPad is free. Edit your images by cropping, rotating, adjusting color, adding filters and creating borders.

Image courtesy of Adobe Photoshop Express
21. Guardian Eyewitness

Guardian Eyewitness provides striking images daily, reflecting events around the world. You have access to the latest 100 images at any one time.

Image courtesy of Guardian Eyewitness
22. Google Earth

Explore the planet in 3D with the Google Earth iPad app. You can travel to faraway places you've never seen before, preview destinations before you travel there in real life or even check in on the neighborhood where you grew up. The Earth Gallery includes real-time earthquakes, planes in flight, hiking trails and city tours, and the "tour guide" feature makes it easy to discover new places.

Image courtesy of Google Earth
23. Pandora Radio

Pandora is a free personalized radio app with more than 200 million registered users. You can create custom radio stations based on your favorite artists, songs and genres. If you're a super-user, you can subscribe to Pandora One for $3.99 per month.

Image courtesy of Pandora
24. Dropbox

Dropbox lets you save all of your files in one place and share them easily, as well as access them across all devices. You'll get 2 GB of space free automatically, and you can add files to your "Favorites" for offline viewing and more.

Image courtesy of Dropbox
25. Epicurious

This app from award-winning food website Epicurious.com gives you access to more than 30,000 recipes. You can save your favorite recipes, make shopping lists and share recipes with your friends.

Image courtesy of Epicurious