The Most Collectible PCs of All Time
Is that computer in your attic a treasure...or trash? Here's the scoop on 19 historic digital antiques, worth from $10 to $10,000 and beyond.
Harry McCracken
Lisa (Apple Computer, 1983). Estimated units sold: a few thousand; original price: $10,000+; current market value: $10,000+
The Lisa was a proto-Macintosh, with a fancy graphical-user interface and a mouse back when those features felt like a sneak preview of the future. "The machine was brilliant, but it was also pricey and somewhat temperamental," says Vintage-Computer.com's Erik Klein, who reports that only a few thousand were sold, of which only several dozen may survive. The system's initial market failure, its historical importance, and its Apple connection contribute to making it one of the most valuable computer collectibles. In 1987, Apple famously buried some 2700 unsold Lisas in a Utah landfill: Maybe someone should dig them up and put 'em on eBay. (Photo courtesy of the Obsolete Technology Website.)Have PC Problems?
Related Desktops Articles
- As Asia's PC Market Slows, HP Braces for Difficult Times As the PC market outlook gets cloudy, HP counts on businesses and consumers to keep buying PCs.
- Wall Street Beat: Hardware Taking Brunt of Recession It is clear that the now-official U.S. recession is hitting all sectors of IT, though so far it looks like hardware and...
- Test Your PC With 10 (Mostly) Free Sites and Tools Use these super testing tools to test and track practically everything about your PC--including its hard drive, Internet connections, and inside-the-case hardware.
- Consolidation May Hit Worldwide PC Market, IDC Says Consolidation may hit the worldwide PC market, IDC says.
- Black Friday Marked the Death of the Desktop It's official: The desktop is dead.
Best Prices on Desktops
Inspiron 530 Desktop - CustomizablePrice: $449.00
iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 24" DesktopPrice: $1699.99
iMac 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 20" DesktopPrice: $1049.00
Aspire M5201-EF8400A DesktopPrice: $479.00
iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 20" DesktopPrice: $1125.00
TouchSmart IQ504 DesktopPrice: $1248.00
-
Asus Notebook Center View your favorite HD DVD or Blu-ray movies on your laptop with true-to-life colors and detail. Click here for more details...
-
Windows Home Server Back up, access, share, and store all your family's digital media.
-
Lenovo Laptop Showcase Find out how Lenovo IdeaPads and Thinkpads balance performance and portability. Visit the Lenovo Resource Center for more info...
PC World's How To Buy Laptops Guide
- Laptop Buying Guide: The Big Picture There are more laptop choices than ever. We'll identify and discuss the available options--including screen size, weight, battery life, and communications ports.
- Laptop Buying Guide: Laptop Specs Explained Do you need a superfast CPU? Or a huge hard drive? We'll guide you through the choices and tell you which features are most critical.
- Laptop Buying Guide: Laptop Shopping Tips Looking for a powerful, versatile notebook at a reasonable price? Our advice will help you find the right laptop.
-
SatellitePro with industry-leading 2-year warrantyAvailable with the Satellite Pro® S300. Only from the laptop expert, Toshiba
PC World's Marketplace
PC World's Free Whitepapers
"The Most Collectible PCs of All Time" Comments