Apple VideoPad prototype axed by Steve Jobs to be auctioned off

Bonhams, the international auction house, announced it will auction off several rare Apple prototypes in November.

One of the items available is an unreleased device called VideoPad. According to Bonhams, it was originally designed to be a PDA (personal digital assistant) like Apple's Newton MessagePad series, and Apple tested three versions of it - VideoPad 1, VideoPad 2, and VideoPad 3 - over two years starting in 1993.

The VideoPad prototypes were all based on a conceptual sketch drawn by Apple's former CEO John Sculley. But Bonhams said the entire idea was ultimately ditched by Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, when he returned to the Cupertino-based company in the late 1990s.

The auction company only has the VideoPad 2 up for dibs, as it is reportedly the only surviving prototype device. It features a hinged flip-top design with two screens and was apparently going to pack a built-in camera, two speakers, a memory card slot, a power socket, and a phone line input.

It's estimated to get up to $12,000 at the auction, which is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on 3 November 2021.

Other Apple devices up for bidding include the original Apple II Personal Computer and prototypes like the Apple Macintosh, Apple EMate 300, the first-generation iPad, and a handwritten letter from Jobs.

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