With all the brilliant Apple I replicas there are I got wondering, how possible would an Apple ][ replica be? If we could get permission from Apple (rather then make an illegal clone like others did back in the day) who would be interested in such a hacking project? I know that it would be hard, no doubt about that! But surely something like this would be fun for those interested in an Apple ][ clone and that if people wanted it they would work for it? What do you guys here think?
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The cost to create a complete Apple II replica (forgetting the legals) would be prohibitive. When you can buy a II plus for peanuts compared to the individual parts to build one it doesn't make sense. Mike Willegal created in the past an Apple II rev 0 reproduction board to restore his original Apple II and he made it available, but that is about the furthest I think you'll see. The main differences between early II plus and later II computers were the ROMs as they even shared the biggest problem with creating a clone, the raised power indicator keyboard. The cost to "tool" and make the keyboard with raised power indicator is in the thousands. maybe with a 3d printer it could be done but I'm not sure.
Later II plus machines have one of various different keyboards that wouldn't be useful and the power supplies are a different color so that would also need to be recreated. Reproduction II badges do show up periodically on eBay so we know that can be done.
So in the end not worth it.
Cheers,
Corey
FPGA implementations seem a nice compromise between PC-based emulators versus the expense/complexity of reconstructing the hardware. You still get a dedicated Apple II of a sort which can be made somewhat close in external appearance to at least a II clone (a 10-footer? thanks for that term, Corey), maybe even using the case and keyboard from a dead II or clone.
Guess it all depends on whether you're willing to accept that it's still emulation.
That is the exact route that Vince Briel took with his Altair Micro. It's an Altair on a single microcontroller. He did a mini case instead of a full case but people including myself love their Altair Micro's.
Cheers,
Corey
I did a reproduction rev 0 motherboard PCB.
http://www.willegal.net/appleii/appleii-recreation.htm
I sold 15 kits and 1 bare PCB and made a few hundred bucks over a period of a couple of years. Authentic production Apple IIs are just too plentiful to make this a viable enterprise.
That said, I'll probably make another batch of PCBs in the future for the few people that like making vintage computer kits, missed out on the first run and are willing to find their own parts.
Regards,
Mike Willegal
I'll say, I'm definitely interested in getting one. It's just the pricing that causes me to have hesitation.
Seconded. (purely for educational purposes of course
)
Of course.
Sorry for digging up an old post, was just wondering whether anyone has recently been interested in Apple ][ replicas? I've enjoyed reading the build process on Mike's page, but it's not clear whether the PCBs and/or kits are still available.
I'm starting off on my second attempt at an Apple 1 replica based on Vince Briel's design, but I'm already looking ahead to what I might want to do next.
Nishida Radio's NISHIPPLE is probably the closest thing you will ever find in a modern Apple II clone or replica:
http://tulip-house.ddo.jp/DIGITAL/NISHIPPLE/english.html
I don't think it is being made at this time.
Here's a happy customer:
http://pasopia700.blogspot.com/2013/01/nishipple.html
http://pasopia700.blogspot.com/2013/01/dram.html
http://pasopia700.blogspot.com/2013/01/nishipple_7.html
http://pasopia700.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-post_24.html
I too would love to get 2 of these replica boards - 1 to build and 1 to display.
Jennifer
If there is enough interest maybe we can coordinate to get a new small batch of replica boards made since Mike Willegal has made his Rev. 0 design files available to us. I would like to build one up to restore the appearance of my oldest Apple ][ (serial number 631) to full Rev. 0. It still has the original case, power supply and keyboard but the motherboard was upgraded by the original owner in 1981.
Richard
It should be done. I would support it.
I would also support this. In fact, I would like 2 of these motherboards - 1 to build and 1 to frame
Jennifer
OK I'll start looking into some options for a PCB fabricator.
Richard
ReactiveMicro sell Apple ][/+ replica motherboard completly assembled or in kit have a look here to buy one : ReactiveMicro Apple ][/+ replica motherboard
Topic is three years old, but I suppose that closes it out. TBH, I would love full Rev 0 kits, but despite being promised, they have yet to appear, and the Rev 0 boards do not have a 1:1 silkscreen. I still might build one, but not for the reason that others do. I sort of feel like making one on perf.
And if anyone ever wants to sell one of those, please let me know! I wish i knew about it before they stopped selling them because its on the top of my wish list... I saw one on ebay once for a decent but stlil expensive price and it had damage to the case. Now i wish i bought it was that was over a year ago and i check almost daily to see if any ever show up again...
You can still order them. What's the panic?
There are several eBay listings right now for clone boards. Apart from the ReActive Micro offering.
It appears, though, that all of the Apple II boards available are clones of the Rev-0 Apple II, and not later revisions like the Rev-7 or RFI revisions.
Those listings also don't solve the problem of how to get a working ASCII keyboard. No modern clones of those exist.
One of the other users on the forum has cloned the Apple II KB, and I had planned to offer them as kits or assembled, in conjunction with him.
I still make Apple ll Rev. 0 boards! I took on the challenge to make completely assembled boards and sell them back in 2019. I've also wanted to make a better version of the board such as like the pre-RFI rev.7 and sell it to people but had no help to make it in CAD so it never happened. I'm still interested in doing that but need help!
For those interested in Rev.0 boards... message me and I can get a board to you!
Best,
Logan
It is a matter of opinion, but with the amount of Apple ][s, ][+s, ][e's and of course the plentiful supply of //c's, why bother?
When my Apple //c stopped functioning after 30 years, I went over to eBay and purchased a lot of 2 of them as "repair, parts only" and now have restored all 3 to perfectly functioning ability.
Projects like the wDrive and the Floppy EMU and Uthernet boards are where I believe your efforts should be focused to gain productivity of this large inventory of existing Apple ][s.
Now compare this to the original Apple 1: only 50 were manufactured and sold.
Then with Steve Wozniak's time being unproductively used to be "tech support" for those 50 owners, they offered a wonderful swap: get a brand new Apple ][ and return your Apple 1.
The stack of old motherboards were in a corner of Woz's office waiting for destruction, when some foresighted Apple employees walked in and asked if they could have one!
Now that is a project worthy of replication.
Somewhat like the 5 1966 Shelby Mustang convertibles that Carroll Shelby built as gifts.
Only one exists and its priceless, but replicas pop up all the time!
If you want a Rev. 0 board, you can have these made yourself. Mike Willegal made the files available (thank you Mike!).
I had 5 boards made at $55 shipped to my house (so just $11 a board). I’ve collected all the parts (minus the roms) at an estimated $100.
I recently bought an II+ board on ebay for just $50, so as pointed out getting a board is doable and affordable, but for me, the point of a reproduction Rev. 0 is the fun of collecting the parts and building it.
-DDE
What I am looking for is a Briel 8800 Micro Kit or Assembled that Vince Stopped making a couple years ago. When ReactiveMicro started selling the Apple-1 Replicas I was hoping they would release the altair Micro but it's got to be way back on their to do list at this point. That's what i was referring to.. A Briel Altair 8800 Micro...
Have you sent email to Henry to ask if you can get the Gerber file?
Any idea if the Gerber files of this famous Taiwanese Apple II clone Motherboard are available out there?
re_20161213_214821 (1).jpg
Check out the Unified Retro Keyboard Project. I have partially assembled PCBs and keycap sets, if anyone is interested.
Dave
If you have a blank Unitron motherboard you should have that scanned by a PCB fabrication shop. That board is pure gold as one of the best II+ clone implementations out there. 100% compatible and depending on the iteration of the board, no PCB errors that I know of. And it has all the features of the Rev-7 Apple motherboard.
I think that the bloke in HK (or was it Taiwan?) who designed that CF Floppy card and the various Z80 addons might have Gerber files for them.
His Z80 MSX and CV addons are certainly neat, although because I own MSX and CV systems, a bit more than I would ever need out of a ][/ I had considered fiddling with them out of the sheer WTF factor of loading MSX or CV games on a ][+.
]
I have this unknown Apple II Clone board but not the same, may be from an Unitron.
https://www.applefritter.com/files/2021/01/23/pcb_appleII.pdf
Clone, yes, Unitron, no, I doubt that it is.
I've seen that clone board before but Unitro'ns boards were generally more tidy, didn't have a sideways 74LS02 near the speaker .
The two that I know are this earlier one: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?56694-Unitron-Apple-II-clone
and the later one shown earlier in this thread.