Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

bonhams.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 48 posts

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#21

Post by ooz »

mattmanser wrote: post #19
ooz wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm certainly allowed an opinion and yes I will quite happily judge the validity of those things. Why shouldn't I? The item has no inherent value to anyone other than the status of aquiring it. This is a fine example of why the majority of people live in poverty, nothing more. As I said elsewhere in the replies, if someone spent $900k on crack and whores, I'm sure you'd be right up there judging the purchaser and dra…

You've made a common mistake in thinking economics is a zero-sum game. You can't simply transfer money from luxury goods to food and expect money to be 'worth' the same.

I'm not making that comparison. Not sure where you got that from. If you want me to make that comparison:

The net effect of taking that cash out and burning it or spending it on an Apple 1 assembly is the same. It devalued the moment you bought it as you have shrunk the market.

Could have thrown it at a charity.

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#22

Post by rodly »

ooz wrote: post #16
smackfu wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone who spends money beyond the ascetic-level can be judged by others. Many of us buy new $650 phones every two years, which I'm sure seems incredibly wasteful to people in third-world poverty.

I agree entirely. Perhaps they should be seen as wasteful here and it certainly shouldn't be beyond judgement. For reference, I do practice such things. My entire computing and mobile outlay has been about $250 in the last 5 years.

So in this one context you can sit on your high horse, how convenient. I'm sure you spend large amounts of money on other frivolous things that others could judge and crucify you for.

Not sure why I'm feeding you but there it is.

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#23

Post by tjr »

ooz wrote: post #21
mattmanser wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've made a common mistake in thinking economics is a zero-sum game. You can't simply transfer money from luxury goods to food and expect money to be 'worth' the same.

I'm not making that comparison. Not sure where you got that from. If you want me to make that comparison: The net effect of taking that cash out and burning it or spending it on an Apple 1 assembly is the same. It devalued the moment you bought it as you have shrunk the market. Could have thrown it at a charity.

The net effect of taking that cash out and burning it or spending it on an Apple 1 assembly is the same.

How so? Now, whoever sold the Apple 1 assembly has $900k. What will they do with that money? Presumably not burn it.

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#26

Post by DonHopkins »

ooz wrote: post #11
colinramsay wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it could, but it's not your place to decide. The person who purchased this could have bought it for some sentimental value, because they think it's an important piece of computing history which should be preserved - or perhaps both. Are you to be the judge of the validity of those things?

I'm certainly allowed an opinion and yes I will quite happily judge the validity of those things. Why shouldn't I? The item has no inherent value to anyone other than the status of aquiring it. This is a fine example of why the majority of people live in poverty, nothing more. As I said elsewhere in the replies, if someone spent $900k on crack and whores, I'm sure you'd be right up there judging the purchaser and dra…

Crack dealers and whores would not be so judgmental as you and everyone else you presume would be.

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#27

Post by joezydeco »

cmiller1 wrote: post #6

Did anyone notice this link on that site? http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21652/lot/188/ How cool, I wish they had put it into production.

There are other books full of photos of prototype devices, especially from the mid to late 1980s.

http://twistedsifter.com/2014/06/apple-prototypes-from-the-1...

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#28

Post by DonHopkins »

ooz wrote: post #12
ToastyMallows wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could say that about most things that people spend money on, but it's not my money to spend.

You're right it's not your money to spend. But if someone threw $900k at crack and whores then I'm sure you'd have a moral judgement to make? This is no different to my opinion.

Are you anti-drug and anti-prostitution, or do you think drugs and sex should be given away for free?

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#29

Post by DonHopkins »

ooz wrote: post #3

I hope that was a charity auction otherwise that outcome is quite ridiculous and quite sad. $900k could be better spent.

I wish my mom could auction off the Apple ][+ she bought for me in 1980 for $2000 for $900k. Who are you to decide she doesn't deserve such a good return on her investment? That's up to the buyer to judge, not you.

Re: Apple 1 Motherboard Sold for $905,000

#30

Post by mrb »

This is why, if you own one of the first FPGA/ASIC Bitcoin miners, you should keep it. They could become historical artifacts of a technology that may end up changing day-to-day trade & finance... Personally I kept my Ngzhang Icarus units, Enterpoint Cairnsmore1 units (one of them is serial# 3), Ztex 1.15y units, Avalon gen1 units (the first commercially available Bitcoin ASIC), and our TAV 105 Gh/s units. Most of them were extremely small production runs: less than 1000 units ever built.

Back in 1976, very few people understood how the Apple 1 and personal computers were about to change day-to-day communication.

Post reply on HN