Rare Apple I system to go to auction

First Apple model expected to fetch big bucks

A rare model of the first Apple computer will go to auction in the US at what could be a record selling price.

The Apple I system, first built in 1976, will be sold off by high-end auction firm Christie's, with a starting price of $300,000. Early speculation suggests that the winning bid for the rare system could top $500,000.

First built in 1976, the Apple I was the first system built by what was then a startup between Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Operating out of a garage in Silicon Valley, the pair hand-built the systems and sold the units as a motherboard to hobbyist users at a starting price of $666.66, due to the co-founders' affinity for repeating digits. Users had to provide their own casing and components for the sytem, including power supplies and display hardware.

Though the Apple I sold modestly - an estimated 200 units - proceeds and experience gained from the project helped to set the foundation for the Apple II, the personal computer that would help to kick off the home computing revolution and make Apple a household name. Over time, the first Apple model became a collector's item as Apple built itself up to be one of the most successful companies of all time.

Earlier auctions for Apple I units have passed into six figures as collectors have sought to obtain what is now considered to be a piece of computing history. Both collectors and museums have sought out artifacts ranging from complete copies of the Apple I to instruction manuals and promotional materials.