Re: Black-box Apple ][?

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article e-anderson@co.kitsap.wa.us (Erik W. Anderson) writes...

>While browsing some second-hand stores with my girlfriend for
>furniture, I saw an Apple ][ with two external 5.25" drives. I didn't
>check to see what type of ][ it was but from the description, does
>anybody know what is was I saw? The only Apple ][s I've come in
>contact with are beige.

    What you must have seen was a Bell & Howell Apple II Plus. It is
identical to the regular Apple II Plus inside and out--except for the
fact the case is painted black and it has a different metal sticker
ID plate on the front. These also had an accessory that went on the
back for bolting the lid shut and providing external A/V plugs.

    Apple computer licensed Bell & Howell to sell them to primary and
secondary schools in the early 80's (the motherboard and cases were
still being manufactured by Apple Computer, so they actually were
official Apple II computers and not licensed clones).

>Never saw a black one until yesterday...

    Same here, at least not in person. I think the only images I
saw of the machine were in one issue of Softalk magazine, and a
GIF photo that was sent to me by e-mail. One of these days I'd
like to add a black II Plus and grey IIe to my collection. :-)

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca