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You Too Can Have A Macintosh Portable Prototype on eBay

Long before iBooks and MacBooks, there was the Macintosh Portable. Released in 1989, the press loved it but consumer sales weren’t that great. The device was Apple’s first attempt to produce a portable, battery-based Macintosh computer that featured an LCD screen and a rechargeable battery. The machine also had a physical keyboard and a trackball to use as a mouse.

Looking back, the Macintosh Portable looks like the perfect piece of old Apple hardware to buy and keep jealously in your room. Now you can, as a prototype has been posted for sale on eBay. The unit is described as “absolutely mint, flawless, clean prototype Macintosh Portable” which was meant for sale – a label on the bottom of the computer confirms that “it is intended for demonstration purposes only”. The only caveat is that this prototype isn’t actually working as there seems to be a problem with the internal battery. It looks perfect on the outside, but it won’t turn on.

Bids start at $1,750.00. More photos are available on eBay, and if you plan on purchasing the item – be quick. After all, it’s an Apple prototype.

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Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, and Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more.

He can also be found on his other podcasts on Relay FM: Connected and Remaster, two shows about Apple and videogames, respectively.

@viticci
@viticci
@viticci@macstories.net
viticci@macstories.net