Two 'ultra-rare' personal computers left forgotten in a used goods warehouse.

According to TechSpot , employees of the home cleaning service Just Clear accidentally discovered two strange computers in a box stored in the storage area of ​​a London house. Instead of disposing of the devices, the company kept them and sent them to experts for further examination.

The two models were confirmed to be the Q1 PC – the world's first fully integrated desktop computer with a single processor. Launched by Q1 Corporation in 1972, it featured a flat-screen plasma display, ran on an 8-bit Intel 8008 chip, supported 16 KB of memory, and had a maximum clock speed of 800 kHz.

Only three intact Q1 PCs have been found globally.

TechSpot screenshot

The 8008 architecture was designed by Computer Terminal Corporation (CTC), while Intel handled its implementation and manufacturing. Initially, the chip was designed for use in CTC's Datapoint 2200 programming terminal, but the two companies reached an agreement allowing Intel to commercially produce it for other customers after Seiko inquired about using it in their computer line. Besides the Q1 PC, the 8008 chip is also used in other products such as SCELBI (USA), Micral N (France), and MCM/70 (Canada).

The discovery by the cleaning staff has drawn attention from the community because the number of Q1 PCs imported into the UK is very limited, and currently only three devices have been recorded worldwide (including the two models just found). The machine is currently on display at the technology museum of Kingston University (Surrey, England).

Brendan O'Shea, owner of Just Clear, shared: "Company employees reported the discovery during a cleanup. While I thought it might be related to history, I never imagined the find would be so significant in the field of technology and computing. Experts say these pieces are extremely rare, so seeing two at once is incredibly exciting."

After the exhibition concludes, both devices will be auctioned off or sold to private collectors. A new valuation for the two machines has not yet been determined, but the original price (according to available information) when they were sold in 1979 was $20,500, equivalent to $87,000 today.

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