Value of MS-Windows 1.0 complete in box?

[Anonymous Freak]

Hi, I recently got some vintage computer gear off a guy via Craigslist, and he just found a boxed copy of Windows 1.0 in his storage unit! He has asked what it's worth, hoping I would know.

I have no reference point for this, though. I know old MS-DOSes are cheap enough, and old OS/2s can be had for not too much, but what about "the original Windows"? Anyone bought or sold a copy recently, so I can give him a ballpark figure?

I'd love to get it from him, but I'd feel guilty paying him $10 only to find out that $100 would be a reasonable price. I'll happily pay low if the person KNOWS I'm paying low; I bought an old Apple QuickTake 200 camera and a PowerBook Duo 210 from him, and while we were talking about the fact that I collect old stuff, he threw in and old 8088 laptop (Zenith ZFL 181-93, 640KB RAM, dual 720 KB 3.5" floppies, the battery even holds a slight charge!) and said he would call me when he cleaned out his storage unit and give me some other old stuff. But this isn't just a case of him knowing that he could get a couple bucks, and choosing to give it to me because he knows it will get a good home; this is something that might have actual value for all I know.

 

[modem7]

I know old MS-DOSes are cheap enough

Recently, a copy of DOS 1.0 sold on eBay for over $600. And that didn't surprise me at all.
Version 1.1 is about the $100 to $200 mark I think.

Windows 1.0 in his storage unit! He has asked what it's worth, hoping I would know

There were 4 sub-versions of Windows 1.0 (as described at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_1.01).
Obviously the earlier sub-versions are more desirable/valuable.
In July, a boxed copy of 1.04 sold on eBay (item 160138496169) for $210, but I don't know if that price represents the norm for 1.04

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Recently, a copy of DOS 1.0 sold on eBay for over $600. And that didn't surprise me at all.
Version 1.1 is about the $100 to $200 mark I think.


There were 4 sub-versions of Windows 1.0 (as described at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_1.01).
Obviously the earlier sub-versions are more desirable/valuable.
In July, a boxed copy of 1.04 sold on eBay (item 160138496169) for $210, but I don't know if that price represents the norm for 1.04

After more discussion with him, it looks like it's 1.03. It's 5 disks of Windows install, and one of Write. He says it looks like it should have included a disk with Paint, too, but that one appears to be missing.

Oh, and I was specifically referring to the DOSes from the same time as Windows 1.0; 1985-era. So DOS 2.x and 3.x are cheap.

 

[Yzzerdd]

I have Windows 1.03 with all the disks, and no box. I got all the manuals, though. Don't expect to get much more than $20, I haven't seen it go for much more. I would be surprised if the one on eBay gets any bids...

--Ryan

 

[curtis]

I sold a Zenith OEM version of 1.03 a while back and if I remember correctly, I got around $50 for it.

 

[rmay635703]

When I was looking lately it seems Windows 1.0 is worth much less than it was a few years ago. Earlier in the year I saw win 1.01 go in the mid $50's. I was surprized. Ebay is pretty chaotic though. 1.03 IS NOT worth much at all as it was sold up until the early 2.0 era.

 

[barythrin]

I was questioning of 1.0 was even ever on the market. I never saw it although I was young and lived in a small town of 6000 so perhaps that dwarfed the technology experience. I do know when I did finally see Windows I didn't like it and most of the local computer hobbiest group in town didn't either. It was a large debate in the group guessing the future of computers and what would prevail.. obviously most of us were wrong in thinking DOS was all the world needed.

The price of operating systems is quite odd.. some aren't worth anything, then you occassionaly see an unopened/unused licensed copy of something all of a sudden go for $100+ like Win98 or some versions of OS/2. I keep finding OS/2warp4 or warp3 around here at Goodwill for $10 so I'm confused how the market/audience chooses worth.

I *do* imagine Windows 1.0 to be worth probably quite a bit despite the lack of usefulness (similar to the lack of functionality of DOS 1.x with no hard drive support).

- John

 

[tezza]

I *do* imagine Windows 1.0 to be worth probably quite a bit despite the lack of usefulness (similar to the lack of functionality of DOS 1.x with no hard drive support).

If it was shrink-wrapped and unopened, I would imagine it would be worth something as a collectable.

Having used auction sites a lot for the last few months, I can say that the "value" of most stuff can fluctuate wildy within a range With a few expections (Apple 1s etc.) the final price seems to depend largely on just how much the bidders "want" the item. If there is only one bidder, items may go for quite a low price.

While there is a certain collectable value (i.e. how much you feel others might pay if sold in the future) added to the mix is nostalgia and preservation concerns. Some people just WANT the item and, if they have the money, will make sure they get it.

Such was the case when I won a TRS-80 Model 1 console (minus screen and power pack) off e-bay recently. It hadn't been tested but was in mint condition. Being a part of TRS-80 culture for so long (through my TRS-80 clone) and such units being rare here I just WANTED it. There was someone bidding against me and I paid what you guys in North America would consider would be astronomical price for just the console ($160 US or so once the shipping fees from Australia were added). It was a gamble, as it could have failed on boot and just been an ornament. However, the gamble paid off as the unit works flawlessly and is in beautiful "new-out-of-the-box" condition.

I was happy to pay the price.

 

[Micom 2000]

About 8 or 9 years ago there was a debate on classiccmp on whether or not Windows I.0 was ever released. An employee of MS$ on the list at that time, after a priveleged search, determined that it hadn't and gave a pretty good argument against it. Only the Win 1.01 and later were released. Somewhere in my files I have one of those sadly lacking versions, !.01. I believe. DRs GEM, MACs, or even most of the semigraphical menu-type programs like Deskview or Framework were vastly superior. Even the coupling 0f IBM and MS to bring out OS/2 was an acknowlgement of WINs limitations. Goes to show that marketing and ability to appropriate or wipe out competing technologies wins the day for modern technology, irregardless of the inferiority of their products.

Someplace on one of my old PC hard-drives, I have a DOS program called "Windows" which used a quadrature much like that of IBM PS/1 's and you jumped from 1/4 section to section to do specific tasks. Unless MSDOS bought it out it must give some pause to MSDOS lawyers in late dream/nightmare repose.

Lawrence