Apple MacBook 3G Prototype Called Back Home

When a geek happens across something early or really weird that was not meant to leave the inner workings of a company like Apple, they tend to throw it on eBay looking to make some loot off the deal. Such was the case when an eBay seller put a prototype MacBook Pro up on eBay earlier this month. The prototype was notable because it had a 3G antenna and a SIM card slot inside. That 3G connectivity is an option that many people have wanted for a long time on a MacBook.

The prototype machine never made the end of the auction though since Apple found out about it and had the auction pulled before it finished. The seller had purchased the notebook on Craigslist earlier this year according to CNET. The machine was originally purchased for parts to use in a repair business. The bidding had apparently hit $70,000 before it was pulled; the odds of that winning bidder actually paying were probably slim.

Apple has now reached out to the owner of the prototype, one Carl Fregna, and wants to send someone to pick the machine up and return it to Cupertino. It's not clear if the man will get the money he paid for the device back from Apple. I would bet that there would be some sort of compensation for returning the machine since the man purchased it legitimately even if it was never meant to have left Apple.

[via CNET]