There is no way to disagree that the Apple 1 has brought revolutions in the history of electronic devices, since it is the first product officially launched by Apple. It is common to see computers in wooden cases, and there are some historical explanations for this.
The equipment developed by engineer Steve Wozniak was initially offered as a circuit board, without any kind of protection. At first, the intention was to have the components sold as a kit, to be assembled by technology enthusiasts.
However, Steve Jobs sold 50 units of the computer already assembled for the Byte Shop, an electronics store based in California. It was there that the set of electronic components was placed in Koa wood, in a total of six units — currently, the number of remaining parts is even lower.
There is no explanation that justifies why wood was the chosen material, but it is possible that there was an intention to add value to the product — after all, Koa wood is considered rare, with growth only in very specific regions.
Over the last few years, some Apple 1 units with wood construction have been auctioned in the United States. As expected, the purchase price for the products rose significantly in relation to what was originally charged, with figures that reached US$ 800,000 in certain purchases.
For comparison, in 1976 the computer had about 200 units sold for the value of US$ 666.66, since Wozniak had an appreciation for repeated numbers. With the correction related to the value of the US currency, this price would be equivalent to around US$ 3,600 — or something close to R$ 17,000 in approximate conversion.
According to information obtained in August 2022, 62 Apple 1 units still exist on the planet, in which 41 of them are from the first batch produced by Wozniak. However, it is estimated that at least 20 more may exist, even if they are not officially registered.
