UAE – Indian man has a rare collection of old Apple computers in Dubai

Location: Dubai – UAE

Language: English

Duration: 00:05:10

Sound: Natural

Source: A24 in UAE

Restrictions: A24 subscribers

Date: 03/06/2022

Storyline:

Driven by his passion and admiration for Apple products, Jimmy Grewal, an Indian national who has lived in Dubai for years, collects and restores old Apple computers and accessories. Grewal sees his collection as one of “the most comprehensive private collections of old Apple computers and accessories in the world”. It consists of about two hundred Apple computers and accessories produced in the first three decades of the company’s establishment. Grewal stores his collection in what was previously a company’s small server room in Dubai. The most special items in this collection are two very old Apple 1 computers, which he obtained from an executive at an oil services company. One of their distinctive features is that they only type in large letters, and there was no delete key because the device was for one-way information input from the keyboard to the screen. Grewal intends to put one of the two devices up for sale on eBay. He intends to use the proceeds to organize temporary exhibitions in the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to give the public the opportunity to see his collection. Grewal mentioned meeting Apple Co-founder and Apple 1 designer, Steve Wozniak, during an event in Dubai last year. Wozniak signed the computer that will be up for sale, as well as another computer that Grewal intends to keep in his collection because it has great sentimental value. Grewal, a father of two, considers it an honor to own and maintain two old Apple 1 computers, especially since they were manufactured right before he was born.

Shot list

-Soundbite (Jimmy Grewal – Owner of rare collection of Apple computers):

            “I first started collecting Apple computers when I was in university in the US 25 years ago. This began by chance. I went to help a friend and took them to a warehouse, where they had old computers and furniture and in the back of the warehouse, I saw an original Apple mackintosh from 1994. I thought it would look nice in my dormitory room and in this warehouse, they selling the computers by weight. So black and white computer was 1 dollar per pound and a colored computer was 2 dollars per pound so I bought this black and white mackintosh for 22 dollars just to decorate my room. Over the years I went back and bought more and more and that’s how I began my collection.”

-Soundbite (Jimmy Grewal – Owner of rare collection of Apple computers):

            “My passion for Apple computers started as a child. My school here in Dubai used only Apple computers, so from the age of five I have been using Apple computers and now I have almost 200 computers in my collection.”

-Soundbite (Jimmy Grewal – Owner of rare collection of Apple computers):

“Some of the computers in my collection are very rare and valuable. I have an original Apple 1 computer, this was the first computer that was made by Apple in their parents’ garage and this computer will be going on sale on auction this week. We are hoping to use the money that we get from selling this computer to enhance the collection and to create some more opportunities for people to come and see us and to see our computers.”

-Soundbite (Jimmy Grewal – Owner of rare collection of Apple computers):

            “In November last year 2021, the Co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak was visiting Dubai and I was invited to attend the event where he was speaking. I took one of these Apple 1 computers with me and I think he was extremely surprised to see someone in Dubai take out an extremely rare and valuable computer of his. His reaction was amazing and he signed the computer and that is one of the computers going for sale this week.”