Top 6 Collectible/Valuable/Grail Computers

[Diatribal Deity]

Various sources would suggest the following:

(1) Apple 1 - Designed firsthand by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. Of the 200 originally made, less than 50 are known to exist.

Estimated value (10k-20k)

(2) Apple Lisa - The predecessor to the Macintosh, Apple's first commercial computer.

Estimated value (2k-10k)

(3) DEC PDP-8 - Defined the mini-computer class for businesses. Lasted through the 70's with eight iterations. Less than 10 known to exist. 1965 cost = $18,000

Estimated value (10k-20k)

(4) MITS Altairs 8800 - a DIY kit based on Intels third-generation microprocessor, the 8080.
It signaled to the general public that it was possible for them to own their own computer, and is widely credited with starting the PC revolution. Rumored to have motivated Bill Gates to start Microsoft.

Estimated value (1.5k-3k)

(5) IMSAI 8080 - Immortalized in the movie "War Games". Was first released in 1975, and over the next 11 years IMSAI produced between 17,000 and 20,000 units.

Estimated value (1.5k+)

(6) Xerox Alto - first GUI (considered by some to be the first pc). Was mainly a research computer. Manufacturing run just over 2000 units. Original cost $32,000.

Estimated value (?)


Anyone own any of these?

[Ed Oscuro]

It seems rather unfair to include any minis with this list, since that would seem to open up some other pretty crazy obscurities. The rule of thumb is likely the bigger it was, the more likely all units have been scrapped. PDP-8 seems a good choice out of this class however.

I was about to suggest the Alto, but I see it rounding out the list there. Out of the whole list, that is the one computer I would definitely like to own.

Overall, my extremely limited (no hands-on knowledge, all just lots of online reading) suggests this is an excellent list.

I will suggest Evans & Sutherland 3D graphics workstations, however. I'm told (by NeoGeoMan IIRC) that there were actually a good number of ultra high-res displays back in the day (high res even by today's standards: E&S had some 4096 x 4096 resolution monitors back in the day) in use in various places.

The E&S is always one of my first choices because it was picked by Michael Waite for inclusion in his Computer Graphics Primer, a great little resource (if limited and also not 100% correct - he does misspell Wozniak's name in one place, after all).

E&S systems were used for flight simulators and advanced molecular modeling back in the 70s-80s, and they're still around and working in the same segment. They still seem to be one of the unheralded giants of computer graphics.

There is also - the name eludes me at the moment - some early 68000 systems without monitors that were used as training devices. They have a register paper-type printer and an extended keyboard format. It sticks out in my mind because the Wikipedia article says these have been in use for years at some haunted house running certain animatronics year in and out

It's also probably not anywhere in the same class as those in your list, but the name GRiD comes to mind.

[tom]

I'd include the IBM 5100/5110 (1975 portable),
Plato System V (1960 - 1980s, online community, online gaming)
and the Commodore MOS KIM-1 (1975, miniature)

Perhaps also the TVT 1?

[Ed Oscuro]

I'd include the IBM 5100/5110 (1975 portable)

Ahh, the luggable. My neighbors have / had a 5150.

[Ze_ro]

(1) Apple 1 - Designed firsthand by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. Of the 200 originally made, less than 50 are known to exist.

Aside from rarity and historical significance.... is there really much practical use for an Apple 1 that can't be done with an Apple II? Is there even any significant amount of software out there, or is it compatible with the Apple II?

(3) DEC PDP-8 - Defined the mini-computer class for businesses.
(6) Xerox Alto - first GUI (considered by some to be the first pc). Was mainly a research computer.

Were either of these really available to the public? I've always thought it would be neat to have a PDP or an Alto, but it's not exactly something you can just stumble across at the thrift store.

(4) MITS Altairs 8800
(5) IMSAI 8080

Are these more or less equivalent, as far as running software on them? My understanding has always been along the lines that the "computer" is basically just an S-100 bus, and the processor itself was a card. So, aside from the selection of cards provided by each company, what are the major operating differences?

My Holy Grail of computers has always been the C-65... though I'm not sure if it's fair to include prototype hardware on this kind of a list.

--Zero

[Arkhan]

we've got a Lisa somewhere around here, or at least we did.

Someone I know has/had an IMSAI.

At the risk of sounding like a tool, this list could be named Top 6 useless computers.

I'd put the EXIDY Sorcerer on the list. Those are cool

The C65 is cool but yeah prototypes don't count

[Jorpho]

At the risk of sounding like a tool, this list could be named Top 6 useless computers.

Exactly. Whatever their historical significance, the lot of 'em are just whacking big paperweights now.

The SGI O2 looks kind of cool (think Irwin from User Friendly), and one of the Macintosh clones might be a novelty. And there's the VAX, of course. (I sold a tape drive I ripped out of an old VAX rack for $80 on eBay a few years ago. There's probably a lot of them still in operation.)

[Ed Oscuro]

The Palo Alto had the first 3D multiplayer game - call it useless at your own peril. The fact that they were at colleges in the area of the PARC makes it seem likely that a few managed to find their way into the hands of the general public through thrifts. Unfortunately most were probably just chucked outright

The E&S flight simulators also would be great fun.

Actually, that reminds me that there are some crazy VSA-100 (3Dfx Voodoo) massive SLI systems used in much the same way. I forget the actual names but these gigantic racks of Voodoo chips still command lots of money and can be used to improve performance on many old 3D games to incredible levels. They were mainly used for special non-consumer gaming graphics applications, though, like (once again) flight simulators, I'd bet.

[Jorpho]

The Palo Alto had the first 3D multiplayer game - call it useless at your own peril.

Fat lot of good a multiplayer game does you if there's no one else to play with.

Actually, that reminds me that there are some crazy VSA-100 (3Dfx Voodoo) massive SLI systems used in much the same way. I forget the actual names but these gigantic racks of Voodoo chips still command lots of money and can be used to improve performance on many old 3D games to incredible levels.

I forget what the Voodoo2 quadruple-SLI doodad was called, but it was at least vaguely accessible to consumers, even if the requirement of four free PCI slots was a little steep.