One of the most comprehensive private collections of vintage @Apple computers and accessories in the world, focused on the company’s first three decades.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Joined August 2020
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The PenLite was Apple’s early attempt at a pen-based tablet computer, prototyped in the early 1990s around the same time the Newton was being developed. It was based on the PowerBook Duo and intended as a tablet-style machine driven by a stylus, compatible with PowerBook Duo docks and accessories and running the standard classic Mac OS. Unlike the MessagePad, it was meant to be a complete computer rather than a PDA, essentially a full Mac you operated with a pen instead of a mouse and keyboard, running on a 25 MHz Motorola 68030 with an embedded electromagnetic digitizing tablet wired into the system’s ADB port. Apple withdrew it from production before the Newton MessagePad 100 launched, wanting to avoid market confusion from having multiple competing pen platforms, and after cancellation the underlying technology was licensed to Assistive Technology and evolved into the PowerPC-based Freestyle tablet.
Much of what is publicly known about how the PenLite actually behaved comes down to Tom Gilley, who preserved working hardware and recorded the detailed video demonstrations that show the device in action, including its stylus-driven Finder, window dragging, and shaky handwriting recognition. Gilley’s footage became more than a curiosity in 2012, when he was subpoenaed to demonstrate the PenLite on video as evidence of Apple’s early tablet development history in the Apple versus Samsung patent litigation, making his preserved units a small but real part of the legal record on who pioneered the tablet form.
We are grateful to Tom for entrusting us with a large collection of prototypes, mockups, and documentation that details the inception and productization of an Apple tablet computer two decades before the iPad. – at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Here’s a sneak peek of a significant new addition to our collection...more details coming next week! – at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A very special new addition to our collection is on its way to Dubai! We can’t wait to share more details next week!
An original Apple-1 has just sold at auction for $571,500. This example appears to be completely original and working.
It’s both exhilarating and slightly nerve-wracking to power on the 1976 Apple-1 computer in our collection. This is a necessary task to maintain some of the components that might otherwise fail due to prolonged disuse.
However, using a computer that’s almost 50 years old and equipped with all original components comes with its own set of risks. If a component were to fail, sourcing period-correct replacement parts for a hand-assembled computer can be a challenging task.
A recent gem added to the collection: an ultra-rare clear case prototype of the original Macintosh Portable from 1989. This particular unit was given to Apple engineer Dick Craddock in appreciation of his work on the project, including the design of one of the first custom ASICs used in a portable Apple device. We are grateful to Dick and his wife Trina for graciously donating this pristine example to the collection.
The Macintosh Portable was Apple’s first serious attempt at mobile computing. It featured a full-size keyboard, a sharp active-matrix display, and a lead-acid battery that offered up to 16 hours of runtime. At nearly 16 pounds, it was portable in name more than in practice, but it broke new ground in performance and custom hardware integration.
Today it represents an important chapter in Apple’s evolution and a reminder that innovation sometimes comes in very heavy packages.
We love having visitors!
I had the great pleasure of hanging out with @jimmyg at his wonderful Apple extravaganza.
Funny enough, we talked about so many things other than Apple. Looking forward to my next visit.
Thank you Jimmy for your time.
Information superhighway. – at Cupertino, CA
ALT Close up photograph of the motherboard of a 1977 Apple II (revision 0) computer.
Our 1977 Apple II on display at a private event last summer in Cupertino…what should we do this summer? – at Cupertino, CA
ALT A 1977 Apple II computer with accessories.
The @verge has posted a cool YouTube video about the Apple Lisa and it’s influence on modern computers:
Inside the flop that changed Apple forever youtu.be/pcYX-2uWwsk – at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
