15 Year Old's Apple Computer Collection to Become a Museum
An enterprising fifteen year old--who built a collection of vintage Mac computers with money he saved from mowing lawns--is set to display his collection at a planned technology museum in Maine.
In just six years, and with limited means at his disposal, Alex Jason managed to collect 200 Apple computers, many of which are on display at the moment in his parents' basement.
The collection highpoint is a very rare Apple I, from 1976, which is still functioning. Fewer than 70 Apple Is are thought to still exist. One sold for over $900,000 in 2014 at a Bonhams auction.
Another collection highlight the Apple Lisa 2/5 (pictured), named for Steve Jobs' daughter, a Powerbook 100, considered to be the first modern laptop, and Cursor III, the first prototype of a mouse.
Alex's first major coup in building his collection was acquiring a lot of 50 Apple computers for $2,000.
Alex's father, Bill, is leading an effort in Maine to convert a Carnegie Library into the Maine Technology Museum, which would open in January 2017. In addition to housing Alex's Apple collection, the musuem would host a variety of interactive exhibits about engineering, renewable energy, space exploration, virtual reality, and, of course, computers.
In the meantime, you can view Alex's collection, on display in his parents' basement, in this YouTube video:
[Image of an Apple Lisa from Wikipedia]
