Prototype ipad with dual connectors sold on eBay

One lucky bidder over the long Memorial Day weekend bought a rare prototype of the first-generation iPad on eBay for $10,200.

The original iPad prototype (left) sold on Monday night, following a day-long bidding war between seven users. The device offers a glimpse at what Apple was originally considering for its iPad. Most interestingly, the prototype has two dock connectors — one for use in portrait mode, and another for use in landscape mode.

According to the item description, both dock connectors work for charging the device and connecting it to a computer. Older Apple patent filings and leaked casings reveal that Apple was at one point considering giving the iPad dual dock connectors, but this is the first physical prototype to emerge that actually demonstrates the concept.

"This is one of a VERY small amount of Apple prototype devices and you rarely see these on eBay,"


the item description reads. "This iPad has 16GBs of capacity, and is incredibly unique. For starters, it has two dock connectors. Apple prototyped these iPads to have this connector late in the process and at the last minute decided to remove them."

The prototype device, built somewhere around late 2009 or early 2010, runs Apple's testing software, dubbed SwitchBoard, along with a beta version of iOS 3.2. But according to the listing, the device isn't fully functional, as Apple intentionally disables its test units when done with them. The seller noted that the device has been refurbished, but the touch screen works only sporadically.

"Be aware this is a one of a kind item, none like this have been listed on eBay before," the seller wrote. It comes with no warranty, and is intended as a cool collectors item or if you're interested in the hardware or software on it."

Meanwhile, Apple last summer put the kibosh on an eBay auction for a prototype MacBook that had been modified to include 3G connectivity and was selling for a cool $70,000.

Other Apple items have fetched even more at auction. One Apple fan paid $213,600 for the first Apple machine ever made, an Apple-1, when it went up for auction at Christie's in London in 2010. And, the three-page contract that established Apple Computer Co. was sold last year for a whopping $1.59 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York City.