Stories

James best friend was Dick Sherman who was more into the 6800 and founded the 6800 club.

The history of this computer is phenomenal. James worked on it for some time and according to his daughter James spend many weeks in Steve Jobs’ parents’ garage. He liked Jobs and finally in 1976 the Apple-1 worked. The Scardino Apple-1 really looks like a homemade computer.

James heirs talked in 2022 a lot to Apple-1 Registry curator Achim Baqué. This Apple-1 was published in the Apple-1 Registry as #99 ‘James J. Scardino’.

It is so far the only existing Apple-1 (except the prototype) that was not wave-soldered! No peeling or bubbles on the back. Original Apple-1 mainboard, original ACI, original PROMs, original manuals were sold by Steve Jobs in 1976. Woz confirmed in February 2023 that Apple-1 had some boards that were blank. The owner built a printer interface for the Apple-1 in 1976. It is inside the wooden case.

We promised each other to stay in touch. The daughter of James asked Achim if he is interested in the computer. It was the wish of her father and the express wish of the family, that this computer should go to a museum or to an enthusiasts who would really appreciate this unique Apple-1.

Actually, the family wanted to keep the computer. After talking about it within the family for two months, they came to the decision that Achim could buy the computer if he wanted to. Everyone quickly agreed on the price.

In February 2023 Achim flew to San Francisco. His short version of very interesting two days in the Bay Area:
On the first day I visited two hours the Stanford University, had a look to the Apple collection and talked two hours to a professor about early Apple days.

Later that day I visited several hours Apple Park and walked some miles all around inside and outside. Highlights were the buildings itself and the meeting with Arion Paylo and Chris Espinosa (Apple employee #8). We talked so much and it was so interesting and fascinating. Apple Park is a masterpiece of architecture and design. In every detail. I was allowed to make pictures outside.

Day two was to meet Daniel Kottke again and meet there later the wonderful family who owns one of the most interesting Apple-1. If not the most interesting from a historical point of view. The Scardino Apple-1.

Steve Wozniak gave away his schematics and all information to build this Apple-1. So far, no other Apple-1 built by a Homebrew Computer Club member has been found. And here we go, it was done by James Scardino who talked a lot to Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. James Scardino met Woz for the first time at the Homebrew Computer club. Best friend of James was Dick Sherman who was more into the 6800 and founded the 6800 club. James bought from Steve Jobs the original BLANK Apple-1 and ACI boards and all four PROMs. Woz told me, that Steve Jobs didn’t tell him about the sale.
Everything else was done at James’ home and on weekends in Steve Jobs’ parents’ garage. James liked to hang around there. This Apple-1 is hand-soldered (not wave-soldered) and for that reason it has zero peeling or bubbles! It looks like from a factory belt. But it looks not brand new. It is another wonderful example of people really using the Apple-1 to understand and work with an Apple-1. It was not used like a museums item. James Scardino had really good soldering skills. Woz was really impressed and so he wrote to me recently that he could not have it soldered so good.
This Apple-1 worked in 1976. During my day two Daniel Kottke switched it on and it worked instantly 40+ years after the last start.
I am the new proud owner of this historical important Apple-1 and I took this Apple-1 and the huge wooden case on my flight back home. Thank you again, Lufthansa.

There is even more than just the Apple-1 and ACI. Original manuals, more handwritten stuff, a hand-build wooden case (Mahogany) that looks a bit like the Byte Shop cases, keyboard and transformer. And some documents that everyone believed that they are gone. Those four documents are copies from 1976. More information about these docs will be published later.
I told Woz about it and he was really excited and asked if he could have a copy.
Same second day of my visit Woz asked if we could meet for dinner and so we met. Woz, his wife, a man from the early computer days and me. Woz has now the copies of the ‘lost’ documents and thankfully he signed the Scardino Apple-1. We talked a lot. Fallowed by some emails we exchanged.

More information will fallow someday.

Peter Vizenetz remarkable story:
Mr. Vizenetz flew with his family from Munich to the USA on vacation in 1976 and read about a young company in Silicon Valley in a trade magazine. It was supposed to be a single board computer with a character generator. Mr. Vizenetz drove to Silicon Valley in his motor home and visited Steve Jobs in his parents' famous garage. Jobs' 'office' was next to his father's garden tools. Jobs and Vizenetz got along well. Mr. Vizenetz was looking for a computer for process computing in automation.

Immediately he took two Apple-1 (1st Batch) and later bought 10 more Apple-1 according to him.

Thus, in 1977, there were 12 Apple-1s in Germany. The experiments of the engineers in Mr. Vizenetz's company with the Apple-1 were not successful and other computers were eventually used. The Apple-1s remained in the possession of Mr. Vizenetz.

Incidentally, Mr. Vizenetz, Mr. Breidenbach Senior and one other person visited Apple in 1977. Mr. Breidenbach Senior was his business partner. They were received by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and the 'sales manager' who invited them to dinner. They were very interested in a European foothold.

Steve Jobs was very interested in working with Mr. Vizenetz. After Mike Markulla joined Apple, Jobs lost interest in Europe for the time being.

Mr. Breidenbach Senior was to develop a bus control for the Apple-1, which he did. The Apple-1 was also unfortunately unsuitable as a process computer for automation. Mr. Breidenbach continued to develop on the Apple II and Mr. Vizenetz focused on industrial computers.

Mr. Vizenetz gave five Apple-1s to Mr. Breidenbach Senior.

The remaining Apple-1s went to various engineers according to Mr. Vizenetz's recollection. It is unknown whether these are already listed in the registry, as the path can no longer be traced. In 2022, three Apple-1s could be located in Europe.

Mr. Vizenetz wanted to scrap the five Apple-1s still in his possession. The Apple-1s were considered electronic scrap because the Apple II was already on the market. Mr. Breidenbach Senior saved all five Apple-1s.

Mr. Vizenetz contacted Mr. Breidenbach Senior's widow back in May 2019. He recalled that he left some Apple-1s and documents to Mr. Breidenbach Senior. The Breidenbach family did not want to go public at that time.

That at least one Apple-1 is in the possession of the heirs (inlcuding Achim Breidenbach) was no secret. E.g. on this website all kind of information and pictures were published.

Since 2021 Achim Baqué and Achim Breidenbach had contact. He is the son of Mr. Breidenbach Senior, the former business partner of Mr. Vizenetz.

The three Apple-1 are added to the Apple-1 Registry. All are in Germany.

The story continues:
After some time it turned out that the sibling heirs of Mr. Breidenbach senior still have three Apple-1. Achim Breidenbach and the widow Breidenbach remember some details.

Mr. Breidenbach senior exchanged one Apple-1 at Apple Germany for a high-quality Mac. For a long time this Apple-1 hung on the wall in the executive office at Apple Germany, then Apple moved away from Ismaning (Munich). Since then, its whereabouts are unknown. Achim Baqué has a guess. There is a previously unlisted Apple-1 and circumstantial evidence that it could be the missing Apple-1. The information and the pictures of the owner are not allowed to be published yet.

Another Apple-1 was sold by Mr. Breidenbach Senior to a museum in Bern, where it still is today. Fantastic, because this probably clarifies the complete history of another Apple-1.

Three Apple-1s are still in family possession, as mentioned.

There is also a letter from Steve Jobs to Mr. Vizenetz, which is also in the possession of the family. This letter was already published as text many years ago at applefritter. The whereabouts of the letter were unknown until now. A digital copy of the letter is added to Apple-1 #96. And here also once again.

It is a historic Apple Computer Company check, 6 x 3 inches, filled out and signed by Steve Jobs, "steven jobs," and countersigned by Steve Wozniak, "Steve Wozniak," payable to Kierulff Electronics for $3430, July 15, 1976. Headed "Apple Computer Company," the check uses Apple's first official address at "770 Welch Rd., Ste. 154, Palo Alto"-the location of an answering service and mail drop that they used while still operating out of the famous Jobs family garage. In very fine condition.

This extraordinary check comes from the foundational moment of Apple Computer, today the most valuable company in the world. Three months earlier, on April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ron Wayne signed the company's original partnership agreement, which assigned 45% of the company to each of the Steves, and 10% to Wayne. It also required any expenditure over $100 to be approved by two of the partners-perhaps the reason that both Jobs and Woz signed this check. Because of the legal structure of the partnership, all three could be held personally liable for any of the company's debts. Jobs and Woz were effectively penniless-Jobs sold his beloved Volkswagen Bus and Woz sold his prized HP-65 pocket calculator to raise about $1,300 in operating capital. Wayne, on the other hand, was older and more experienced in the business world. He had assets to protect, and sold back his share in the partnership for the meager sum of $800 just days later. Jobs and Woz were on their own to finance the development, production, and sales of the Apple-1.

Shortly thereafter, Wozniak first demonstrated the Apple-1 prototype at a meeting of Palo Alto's Homebrew Computer Club. Upon seeing interest amidst the membership, he and Jobs pooled their resources to have the printed circuit boards produced. Like most hobbyist computer of the time, they conceived the Apple-1 as a kit to be soldered together by the end user. They originally hoped to sell 50 boards at $40 apiece to recover their initial $1,000 outlay. However, seeking a larger audience, Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first personal computer stores in the world. Terrell offered to buy 50 of the computer-at a wholesale price of $500 a piece, to retail at $666.66-but only if they came fully assembled. With this request, Terrell aimed to elevate the computer from the domain of the hobbyist/enthusiast to the realm of the mainstream consumer. Wozniak later placed Terrell's purchase order in perspective: 'That was the biggest single episode in all of the company's history. Nothing in subsequent years was so great and so unexpected.'

However, Jobs and Woz weren't prepared to fill such a massive order-what began as a $1,000 investment in PCBs grew to over $20,000 in expected material costs, and they had already sold off their most valuable possessions. Banks found it easy to refuse loans to 'a couple of hippy kids,' and most electronics vendors were skeptical. Jobs caught a break when he met with Bob Newton, the division manager of Kierulff Electronics in Palo Alto. The episode is discussed in Return to the Little Kingdom: Steve Jobs and the Creation of Apple by Michael Mortiz: 'Newton…met Jobs and examined both him and the prototype. 'He was just an aggressive little kid who didn't present himself very professionally.' Nevertheless, Newton agreed to sell Jobs $20,000 worth of parts and explained that if the bill was paid within thirty days Jobs would not be charged interest. Jobs, unfamiliar with accounting rubric, recalled: 'We didn't know what 'net thirty days' was.'' The components now successfully secured, Jobs and Wozniak spent ten days putting together, soldering, and testing the Apple-1 units before delivering them to The Byte Shop. Thus, the Apple-1 was one of the first completely assembled 'personal' computer that simply worked out of the box with a few accessories that could be purchased from a local electronics store (a power supply, case, keyboard, and monitor were not included). All together, over a span of ten months or so, Jobs and Wozniak produced about 200 Apple-1 computer and sold 175 of them.

Based on the date of this check, it likely represents a payment for parts used in putting together the second batch of Apple-1 Computer. As a document signed by Apple's famed co-founders in the year of the company's origin, and directly connected with the production of the Apple-1 Computer, this is an unparalleled, museum-quality piece.

It is up for auction on March 17, 2022.

Published with permission of RR Auction.

January 2018 I had a conversation with Apple co-founder Ronald G. Wayne. At this time he was 83 years old. He wrote me a very moving letter. Many people just reduce the story about Ron Wayne to the point when he sold his 10% Apple share.

"And while I’ve tried to properly explain my reasons, in the many public interviews that I’ve had, none of them allowed me the time to cover the matter as fully as it should be. To begin with, one thing that's distressed me over the years has been the number of comments I’d heard from people who seemed to think that in some way I was squeezed out, cheated. Nothing could be further from the truth. My departure was entirely of my own choice, and both Jobs and Wozniak understood fully, and accepted my decision with good grace.

The first issue did, in fact, relate to money - in this way. Within days after the contract was signed, Jobs successfully secured the sale of a large number of the Apple I Computer to a retail store named "The Byte Shop". Then, exactly as he should have done, he'd gotten a loan of (as I understood) $15,000 with which to buy the materials needed to fill the order. Unfortunately, I later heard that the Byte Shop had a terrible reputation for not paying their bills. This immediately raised a question in my mind.

Since we'd founded the Apple Computer "Company" there was no "corporate" protection if the business failed. And in such a case, who was going to take on the debt?

Neither Jobs nor Wozniak had two coins to rub together -while I had a house, a car, and a bank account, all of which were reachable by an aggrieved lender. Add to this, the fact that a few years before meeting Mr. Jobs, I’d founded a Corporation of my own in Las Vegas, to design and build casino gaming machines – before I’d learned that I had no business “being in business”. I was a far better engineer than I was a businessman. In time, the whole enterprise failed (my fault). However, to my mind I was psychologically unable to use the corporate shell to protect myself. Every creditor was therefore paid every penny owed, and I bought back every share of stock at the price that had been paid to me. It took me a year and a half of painful effort to accomplish that – and with that background in mind, I felt that the personal risk (with the Byte Shop) was then too great.

Then too, there was the question of "what position I’d hold" in the new enterprise.

Mr. Jobs had worked with me at Atari, where I held the posts of Chief Draftsman, and Product Development Engineer. During that time he watched as, by necessity, I’d totally rebuilt the company's documentation system - a system that impressed Steve enormously.

It was obvious that they'd want me to run the Apple Documentation Department. The problem was that I was a product development man, in my own right, with a passion for gaming machines rather than computer. In short, I knew that I’d never get a project of my own- particularly since I’d further recognized that I was standing in the shadow of technological giants. And the last thing I wanted for myself was to spend the next twenty years of my life, shuffling papers in a large back-office - even though I was certain, at the time, that the Wozniak creation would be the core of a very successful enterprise.
…
There were several other issues as well, which effected my decision, all of which seemed meaningful, and combined to affect my final action. I did, however, continue to help my former partners in any that I could, largely because, as I said, I knew it would be a very successful enterprise. In the end, it really was a true delight to have been a part of an actual turning point in technological history - though no one at the time had any idea that it was. Only time would reveal that fact. Now - you know the rest of the story."

You can support Ron Wayne and get a lot of interesting information first-hand from a co-founder of Apple Computer by buying his book Adventures of an Apple Founder (ISBN 0615517420). For example here amazon.com (this is NOT an affiliate link and we will NOT get commission if you click on it). This book contains 80 years of his life and not only the early days at Apple.