What is known about this 1983 Macintosh?

Prototype #M0001 includes Apple’s own “Twiggy” driver. Apple quickly abandoned the “Twiggy” design due to performance issues and adopted Sony’s drivers instead. So the number of such computers in the world is not small, there are only two of them, which makes this computer very valuable for collectors, according to the Bonhams website.

What could the price be? The starting price is stated on the website as “$80,000 – $120,000.” But it will eventually increase during trading. The computer is expected to break the record of a similar model sold for $150,075 in 2019.

• The Macintosh computer is said to have a disk drive with a matching slot on the front panel and a prototype mouse and keyboard.
• It contains the 820-0086-00 logic board, which was patented in 1983. It bears the image of Jean-Michel Folon, known as “Mac Man” (Mr. Mackintosh).
• The case is plastic, 330x245x250 millimeters, with a smooth plastic front panel and a textured plastic casing on the inside bearing the signature of the Macintosh team.
• Unfortunately, the computer is missing one of the rubber feet.

Macintosh M0001 / Photo: Bonhams

The new Macintosh was first introduced during Super Bowl XVIII. The company showed a cool, rebellious, and heroic ad that would change the world forever, presenting viewers with both the computer and the company itself. Although sales were slow at first, the all-in-one design eventually took off.