Apple's Rare eMate 300 Turns Up on eBay Priced at $8500

[spookyman]

Man Apple used to sell some crap in the day

 

[rosen380]

"Hey... if people want old tech... How much can I get for an old 1997 iOmega ZIP drive, PAR-PORT version? Even thrown in some disks to boot! $5,000?!"

This is a similarly old device, but one that was much more expensive at the time, is thousands of times rarer and is an ultra-rare prototype [atleast according to the seller] on top of that.

FWIW-- I recently sold two USB Zip250s [with no media, and listed as unknown working condition] for $25 ea

 

[hang-the-9]

[citation][nom]dimar[/nom]Looks more like a huge PDA than a laptop.[/citation]

Because that's what it was. "the eMate 300 personal assistant"

 

[maverick knight]

How is it that old epic fail Apple products are worth this much? is not even a relic, like let's say an old type writer. This failed Apple product is so irrelevant that is not even funny. I cannot say it is worthless because apparently it is not.

 

[moonzy]

LOL. Take a nap while you wait for it to process anything! XD

 

[rosen380]

Well, no one says it is worth this much, because things are worth what someone would pay; if Belardo lists his zip drive for $5000, it doesn't make it worth $5000 when no one buys it.

The production version, in working order with it's accessories looks to be worth about $100 or so, given *sold* prices on eBay. I can't find production numbers, but if they made about 100k of them and they are worth $100-$120, how much is a prototype that is one of maybe only six worth?

Check out what some of the 'collectible' Sun and Silicon Graphics and NeXT, etc SELL for on eBay... maybe most pertinant listings in this case are the following:
A prototype working Mac 128k *sold* for $100k
A working production model Max 128k for $1300

That has the gap between the original and protoype at 77x, so if the production unit is worth $100 or so, the prototype might be worth around $8000...

 

[Guest]

What an idiot. (shakes head) Anyone can pick up eMates on eBay from $10~$100. No one in their right mind would pay $8,500 for an eMate... yet.

I'm currently looking for a Newton 130 or 2100, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shell out $500 some of these idiots are asking. $75 maybe.

I wonder if my $10 thrift store VCR is worth $8000 on eBay, it's an antique isnt it? lol, some people.

 

[rosen380]

Did you read the article or look at the item on eBay? Not only is it functional [most of the cheap ones on eBay are not, or missing pieces], but it is a prototype that there are only a handful of.

If your thrift store VCR is a pre-production version that still works, it may actually be worth a lot of money.

As far as this persons' asking price. Lets say he put it up for buy it now, $500 and someone bought it-- but someone would have payed $1000, $2000, $8500, or whatever... well, then he took a substantial loss. It doesn't cost a whole lot to try out something at a high price and see if there are any takers, especially relative to the cost to you if you listed it too low.

 

[spookyman]

Can it run Crysis?

 

[okibrian]

You may want to rethink your price with those iPhones turning up on ebay asking 10k for them.

 

[redeye]

[citation][nom]del35[/nom]Sure Apple thinks outside the box, especially when looking outside its locked-down iJailedyou shiny boxes for ideas to steal from the like of Samsung. No wonder Samsung has waited for so long to release the Samsung Galaxy S3. Apple is certain looking outside the box for sure.[/citation]
are you kidding?... even if it was so, apple has always been STATE-OF-THE-ART this [citation][nom]del35[/nom]Essentially Best of Media Group, Tom's Hardware Owners, has decided that we have to hear about Apple regardless of how we feel about the company and its mediocre products, not to mention its affront on the advancement of technology and open-standards. The connection between Best of Media Group and Apple runs deeper.Readers should spend sometime researching the connection between Best of Media Group and Apple.[/citation]

so what?... even if it was true, Apple is state-of-the-art, always. thus Best of media would be state-of-the-art also... (no, but in any case, your comment is barking up the wrong tree.)

if you are going to complain about this web site... complain about their review methods, not the ownership.