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Rare Apple 1 Computer Breaks The Bank At Auction

CUPERTINO (CBS SF) - One of only six known working models of Apple's first computer, the Apple 1, was on the auction block in New York Friday, and the winner had to shell out nearly $400K to bring it home.

The machine was built in 1976 when the late Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started out in a venture that many people regard as the dawn of the personal computing age.

The bids came fast and furious, with Sotheby's ultimately selling the computer - complete with original manuals - for a whopping $374,000. That's more than twice the expected price.

The last Apple 1 to sell at auction went for $210,000.

The identity of the winning bidder was not released, but officials said the bid was placed over the phone.

KCBS' Matt Bigler reports:

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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