About the Apple 1, and modern clones I have like the A-ONE and the Replica 1.
All of us older computer geeks know that before selling Macs, Apple founders Steve Wozniak (the genius) and Steve Jobs (the greedy business man) had a lot of success with the Apple ][ or Apple 2 or Apple ii, whatever marketing tricks were done with the name of that remarkable personal computer. The 2 in the name suggest there was an Apple 1 and yes, there were a very limited numbers of boards sold (200 or so, 50 or so survived time, so its a valuable collectible) branded Apple 1 in the 1976-77 time-frame. It has video on board and accepts input from a full size keyboard, so it is one of the first standalone hobby/personal computers based on a microprocessor, the 6502 of course, being powerful and cheap at that moment.
What is an Apple 1?
Besides being the first product of Apple Computers and designed by Steve Wozniak, the Apple 1 featured as one of the first a complete computer, with keyboard and video, on one board, based on an affordable and powerful microprocessor, the 6502.
Not many were build. The hype around it and the rarity make it one of the most expensive computer collector items.
My Apple 1 replica built by Armin Hierstetter
Apple 1 Replica
There are many Apple 1 clones made. Ranging from just an adaptation of the Wozmon, the monitor of the Apple 1 running on emulator or a 6502 based computer, to real Apple 1 SBCs replicas with the original PCB and (rare) parts . In between are the replicas where the complex original video circuit is replaced with a modern IC based, like Arduino or Propeller.
The Replica-1 by Vince Briel was the first to apply modern components to replace the hard to get and therefore expensive components, like the Signetics 2513 and such, with modern microprocessor emulating the complex terminal part. The terminal part is replaced by microcontrollers, for video and serial interface. Vince Briel designed quite a complex replica of the Apple 1. Complex because of the now defunct, hard to get components. He worked around that problem with innovative modern solutions and added modern connections like USB and PS/2 keyboard. The result is the Briel Apple 1 Replica range(SE, TE etc).
Available are a slot expansion for three real Apple 1 slots, a multi-I/O board with ACIA 6551 and 6522 VIA and, designed by Rich Dreher, the CFFA1 (Compactflash mass memory) board.
Here a collection of pages on the Apple 1 and Apple replica’s.
Of these Replica’s I have in my collection the Apple 1 Replica shown above, the Briel Replica 1 SE, the A-ONE (in all three flavors) and the RC6502. All still available!
And all excellent Apple 1 computers with some differences:
- The Apple 1 Replica is the real thing, museum quality.
- The A-ONE 2006 and even more the 2026 is a compact build with excellent video quality.
- The A-ONE has a real Apple 1 slot instead of the pin header on the Replica-1 but in a shrinken format!
- No parallel keyboard interface on the A-ONE, the PS/2 input functions as the parallel keyboard. On the Replica both parallel and PS/2 can be used.
- Selection of NTSC or PAL on the A-ONE delivers a rock solid picture.
- The Replica-1 has USB, also functioning as power supply, as an option also as serial interface. The 2026 A-ONE also has an USB power input.
- The Replica-1 has an AT(X) power connector, required for the -12V of the parallel Apple keyboard (not on the latest Plus
- The Replica 1 has a EEPROM, the A-ONE an oldfashioned EPROM.
The Junior computer design was published by Elektuur/Elektor from 1980 on. It was published in a series of magazine articles, four books and several so called paperware A4 booklets. And the ESS Elektor Software Services for the ROMs.
