GoKawiilWorking Apple I with Steve Jobs letter set for Bonhams auction October 14
A functioning Apple I computer, signed and accompanied by a 1978 letter from Steve Jobs, is heading to auction at Bonhams on October 14. The letter shows Jobs personally offering original owner Charles Hatfield a trade-in for an Apple II board after Hatfield complained about lacking software. Hatfield turned down the offer and instead sold the machine for $40,000, far less than its current value.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The letter offers rare documentary evidence that Jobs was personally involved in customer service during Apple's earliest days, adding historical texture beyond the machine itself. Surviving, functional Apple I units are extremely scarce, so this pairing of hardware and provenance is likely to command a premium at auction.
- A working Apple I signed unit will be auctioned by Bonhams on October 14.
- It includes a 1978 letter from Steve Jobs offering a trade-in deal to the original owner.
- The owner declined the offer and sold the computer for $40,000, a fraction of today's value.
Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" biography — If a signed Jobs letter and an original Apple I have you curious about Apple's garage-era beginnings, Isaacson's authorized biography is the definitive deep dive. It draws on extensive interviews with Jobs himself and covers the scrappy Apple I and Apple II days in vivid detail.
See Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" biography on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: engadget.com — Will Shanklin, 2026-09-02
Published there as: “Rare, working Apple I computer heads to auction”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.