Re: Is this an Apple ][ clone?

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

Jim <jim@magrathea.plus.com> wrote:

>There's a computer on the UK eBay site at the moment and I'm _pretty_ sure
>it's an Apple ][ clone (it has a Disk ][ card if nothing else) but I'd value
>some opinions on it:

    Thought I'd jump in the discussion. Not only do I recognize this
particular Apple II clone system, I own one! (with only a few minor
differences between mine and the one pictured on eBay).

    My case housing is completely identical, only the badge at the 
front left corner says "Elite Computer". It also came with a similar
detached PC-101 style keyboard (my layout is a little different and
there's a speaker built-in the actual keyboard!) and even the same
9" box-shaped monitor. The manual that came with mine states it's 
a "Fugu Lasar" computer. I'll bet it came from one manufacturer
and smaller companies re-sold it with their own unique name.

    The motherboard is interesting. There are only 7 slots (slot 4 
is missing; they're labeled 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) and there is a Z-80
co-processor built-in, presumably to run CP/M based software.
It also has a Language Card built in (64K RAM on main board)
and there is no firmware--you plug in a ROM card into slot 0.
The name "Elite-5" replaces the "APPLE ][" at cold boot. 

    There is an small circuit card that plugs into the standard 
16-pin keyboard connector and has a DIN-5 connector for
the PC/XT keyboard (incidentally, I remember trying a PC
keyboard on it, or its keyboard on a real PC--they're definitely
not compatible). Another oddity is in addition to the standard
DIP-16 game I/O port on the motherboard is a DE-9 *male*
connector next to the cassette port. I thought it might be
compatible with digital joysticks (i.e. Atari 2600) but when
testing it, quickly found it was not the case. I still don't
know what it is used for to this day.

    The internal floppy drives were apparently optional. Mine
has two removable black port covers over the openings.
The previous owner used an external floppy drive identical
to the Apple Disk ][ except it says "Solo Vista" on the front.
Still have the whole thing sitting in storage, I should snap
a few pictures for anyone interested in having a look.

    As for the interface cards: I also recognize the knock-off
of the Disk II Controller, I have one in my Golden II clone
with the same part number. Ditto for the 80 Columns Card
and Z-80 co-processor, I think they must have been 
popular overseas.

    Kind of a bizarre coincidence here, I hadn't looked at 
my Elite Computer in literally a decade--been collecting dust
in storage all these years. On a whim I pulled it out on the 
weekend to look at it and then a day or two  later I see a 
discussion about it on comp.sys.apple2. :) Speaking of 
clones, someone locally offered me their Microcomm 
Apple IIe clone free, but I'm still debating whether it take 
it or not. Is there still interest in Apple II clones?

Mitchell Spector