History of Science & Technology, Including the Life and Letters of Richard P. Feynman, and Space Exploration
History of Science & Technology, Including the Life and Letters of Richard P. Feynman, and Space Exploration
Apple Computer, Inc.
Apple IIc Prototype With Carrying Case and Power Adapter
Lot Closed
December 13, 08:46 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
Apple IIc prototype, c. 1983, with Apple Computer Inc. label on bottom marked "Prototype" with "Serial No: P0892," Apple stamp to top right corner of label with handwritten description of machine in red ink, "FRUITI ][c Ω Rev A Logic/Mouse Mod." 12 x 11 3/8 x 2 3/8 in. Housed in the original briefcase-sized carrying case and power adapter.
[WITH]: Two original Apple Computer, Inc. property passes, from 1985 and 1988, showing the movement of this Apple IIc machine from the home of employee Richard L. Herndon to "Mariani" (20525 Mariani Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014 — a building occupied almost continuously by Apple from 1982 to today), and from "VG3" (20740 Valley Green Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014) back to the employee's home. The names of two longtime Apple executives, Fred Richey and Henri Aebischer, can also be found on the property passes.
As a rare preproduction prototype of the Apple IIc, this machine lacks the Apple and IIc logos normally found on the upper left and upper right corners, respectively; a printed black Apple logo is taped to the upper left corner, and an Apple Computer logo sticker is affixed above the keyboard. In addition, labels that were printed directly onto production models are here found taped to the machine ("80-40," "Keyboard," "Disk Use," and "Power.") In addition, unlike production models, the case of this machine has a smooth rather than matte texture.
A PROTOTYPE OF APPLE'S FIRST PORTABLE COMPUTER, NAMED "DESIGN OF THE YEAR" BY TIME MAGAZINE AND INDUCTED INTO THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF ART, WITH TWO ORIGINAL PROPERTY PASSES FROM APPLE COMPUTER INC.
Released on April 24, 1984, the Apple IIc was Apple Computer's first attempt to create a portable computer. The IIc (the 'c' stands for "compact") was a portable version of the previously released Apple IIe, built to fit into a standard-sized briefcase (see original over-the-shoulder Apple carrying case included in this lot).
Designed by famed industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger, the IIc was the first Apple product to feature the "Snow White" design language of vertical and horizontal stripes, a style that would go on to "win scores of design awards, and...became so widely adopted by competitors that [it] became the unspoken industry standard for case design." In addition, the Apple IIc featured a unique off-white color known as "Fog," which was used from 1984 to 1987 and can only be found on the IIc and two of its peripherals (the LaserWriter and ImageWriter II).
Though the computer marked an aesthetic milestone and a technological breakthrough in miniaturization, its reception was less favorable than anticipated — outsold by the Apple IIe because of that machine's greater expandability. Nevertheless, the IIc was Apple Computer's first foray into the domain of portable computers, and this prototype stands as a testament to this monumental development in computing history.
REFERENCES:
Kahney, Leander. Inside Steve's Brain. New York: Portfolio, 2009, p. 76.