Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Attack of the (Apple 1) Clones


There are some other Apple 1 reproductions available other than the Briel Replica 1.

Achatz A-ONE
The Achatz A-ONE
From Achatz in the Netherlands, this is an Apple 1 compatible single board computer similar to the Replica 1. It has a 6502 processor, 6821 PIA, 32K of RAM and 32K of ROM. The ROM includes the Woz monitor, BASIC, and an assembler. It accepts a PS/2 keyboard and produces 40x24 composite video out. Programs can be transferred via a serial port. It comes as a fully assembled board.

Also offered is the A-ONE-Extended version which includes an onboard solderless breadboard with access to key signals so you can easily prototype hardware on it,

Mimeo

Willegal Mimeo
Mike Willegal designed an almost exact duplicate of the original Apple 1. Many parts are the exact components used by Apple on the original. The price for the kit is the same as the original Apple 1 - $666.66. He also offers a cassette interface and PS/2 keyboard adaptor.

At the time of writing the Mimeo kits were sold out but may become available again in the summer of 2012.

Obtronix

The Obtronix Apple 1 reproduction is from Steve Gabal, who occasionally auctions them off on eBay.
Like the Mimeo is is an almost an exact replica of the original 1976 Apple 1 and difficult to distinguish from an original. Check eBay for availability of the system.

And Of Course The Real Thing...
A Real Apple 1(in custom made case)

Less than 200 Apple 1's were made and Apple encouraged owners to sell them back to Apple and upgrade them to Apple IIs. One reason was because only Woz himself could do tech support and repairs. The systems returned to Apple were destroyed. It is estimated that less than 50 remain in existence. Several are in museums (I saw one at The Computer History museum in Mountain View, California). Occasionally they come up for auction on eBay or other sources.

In November 2010 Apple 1 serial number 82 sold for the equivalent of $213,600 at Christie's auction house in London. This particular unit included original packaging and documentation such as the bill of sale, making it more collectible.

Four Apple 1 systems have been sold on eBay in the last few years for prices ranging from $17,000 to $50,000.

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