A collector of vintage Apple computers is attempting to restore a non-functional Apple I to full working order, and is documenting the process on Twitter …
Jimmy Grewal was previously Microsoft’s program manager for the Mac version of Internet Explorer, but his present role gives him a handy advantage in his restoration efforts – as Gizmodo notes.
Grewal has an ace in the hole for what might otherwise be a difficult and delicate restoration: he manages a company with a circuit board repair division.
“The team there helped me assemble an Apple-1 replica last year on the off chance that I ever got my hands on an original […] that effort has paid off now as we have the knowledge, tools, and most importantly experience to tackle restoring something this rare and valuable.”
He bought the non-working board through a Christie’s private sale, for an undisclosed sum.
The latest news on the project is that it has failed electrical testing, but they haven’t yet identified the problem.
The guys are working working hard to figure out the issues with the 5V section of the #Apple1, but so far each individual component seems to be working fine.
Should components need replacing, Grewal is determined to make the restoration as faithful to the original as possible.
Over the past two years, as I became more serious about acquiring one, I’ve been sourcing the parts and accessories anticipating that they would come in hand later. Some are salvaged from similar vintage equipment like arcade machines, specifically 1975/76/77 Atari arcades. Some are [new old stock]. Some are components that I bought specifically for this purpose on eBay. In all cases we will only use the exact same replacement component and match the production date range of the Apple-1.
Grewal told Gizmodo that he is selective in his collection of Apple computers.
Many of those in my collection I owned from new, or were ones I lusted after in the past. My goal wasn’t to have one of everything, just the ones that mean something to me personally.
Apple I models regularly sell for low to high six-figure sums, but Grewal has no plans to sell: his goal with this one is to display it at a museum so that as many people as possible can see it.
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