Memories of the first computer can be invaluable

Or they can cost you $ 2,600 US. Dan Budiak, a web developer from New York, paid the price to buy that same Apple computer model on eBay that he grew up with two decades ago.

And although bets on old computers can start at $ 1, this Apple IIc, produced by a company that would later be called Apple Computer Inc., was much more valuable: it was still in its original packaging, which was never opened.

“When this auction started, I knew that it should be mine,” Budiak says in an interview. "The chance to open a tidbit - a 20-year-old computer was too good, to miss it. "
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He won the auction on January 26, paying $ 2,553 for a computer and another $ 47 for delivery.

It was the low price Budiak had to pay to see a computer that he had not seen since his father sold it in 1989. And although collectors would be stunned by Budiak’s desire to open a box with a computer, and some expressed their indignation, he did not sit with the packaging for a long time without opening it. “In the end, I decided that I did not buy it for financial investments. I bought it in order to sit until 4 am playing Oregon Trail. ”

Opening the box was a hit on the Internet; Budiak's photo album on Flickr was visited over 2.5 million times. Visitors to his site left their own memories of nights spent studying documentation, reading BBS and playing Lemonade Stand .

If he had the opportunity to have a single old computer, “It would be IIc ... This is the sexiest computer ever released by Apple,” says Budiak. "He is also a work of art on par with what is a computer."

And while some Mac fans may admire Budiak and his computer, a much smaller group of people still use the Apple II in the 21st century. A few hard-nosed people have achieved from their Apple II what Apple was not even aware of when creating this computer. Two Australian programmers created a TCP / IP connection to connect the Apple II to the Internet; another enthusiast from England created a web browser for it , an email client, an FTP client, and a Usenet client . These and other users meet annually in Missouri at KansasFest, an annual convention that marks the past and future of a highly respected computer model.

“Apple II continues to amaze people to this day,” says Tony Diaz, KansasFest coordinator and webmaster of the site dedicated to this event - apple2.info . “Many people recall their first encounter with computers through the Apple II, as well as its sleek and simple approach, and the opportunities offered to them" right out of the box. "

The Apple IIc was introduced at the event backing up the Apple II Forever, and the memory of this sits deep inside Budiak. “I honestly can’t imagine ever having to part with a computer. Even if I get bored with the memories of the glory of the past days, it will remain a functioning piece of history, at the same time also beautiful. This is better than anything if I bought something in an art gallery. ”

Based on: ComputerWorld