Re: Want an Apple I workalike?

["Bill Garber" <willy46pa@comcast.net>]

"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
20030908223812.13197.00000486@mb-m15.aol.com">news:20030908223812.13197.00000486@mb-m15.aol.com...
> Bill Garber replied:
>
> >"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
> >20030908134856.19368.00000461@mb-m20.aol.com">news:20030908134856.19368.00000461@mb-m20.aol.com...
> >> Scott Alfter wrote:
> >> >I think this project has been brought up before, but now it's more or
> >less
> >> >finished and now available for purchase:
> >> >http://www.vintagecomputer.tk/
> >> >Wired has an article on the machine, dubbed Replica I:
> >> >http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,60329,00.html
> >> >The Replica I website's a bit sluggish...wonder why?
> >>
>http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/09/08/1045210&mode=neste
> >> d&tid=107&tid=137&tid=187
> >> >Prices range from $100 for just the board and programmed logic on up
to
> >$200
> >> >for an assembled board.  It needs an AT power supply, a II+ keyboard
or a
> >> >PS/2 keyboard, and a composite monitor to get up and running.
> >>
> >> I've been following this project, since I was interested to see if
> >> it would actually be completed.
> >
> >I too was very curious about it's completion, being there have
> >been so many projects begun and never brought to that point.
> >It is refreshing to see that there are still people who are so into
> >this hobby as to see it all the way thru.
> >
> >> It's a curious thing.  It would not appeal to "collectors" since it is
not
> >> physically like the Apple I.  And it would not have much appeal to
> >> "users" since there is so little to "use" about an Apple I--and that
> >> need could be better satisfied with an eumulator.
> >
> >Albeit true your statement, do you ever encourage anyone to do
> >anything? Seems you tend to discourage all ideas, designs, and
> >even those projects brought to complettion. Jealousy? Perhaps
> >there are issues involved here that YOU need to address.
>
> Easy there, Bill!  I was responding with "cold water" (as you put
> it) to the notion that this replica was being offered for _sale_.

I had the same feeling. He'll be lucky to sell 50, let alone the 200
that Woz produced, and I figure that will be a great triumph.

> I have no issues with whatever some enthusiast wants to do
> with their own time for the love of the craft.  One must wonder
> though, when there seems to be an attempt to milk money
> from the beast...

And most of the "milkers" are not even Apple II enthusiasts,
but people who think that because it's old it must be gold.

> I think it's a fine hobby project, and some few will no doubt
> find it interesting as well, but probably not the "mainstream"
> Apple II community, if I can use that phrase.  ;-)

Absolutely, it IS a fine project, and one that I would like to have
a part in, not to merely use as is, but to attempt to upgrade and
possibly add to. Would be fun to try to add other peripherals to
it. Sounds like something I could get into.

> >> It would seem to appeal to a special breed of folks who enjoy
> >> replicating old machines in modern technology, which I expect
> >> is a very small subset of "users" and "collectors".
> >
> >Thank you for the compliment. I too am one of those "special"
> >breeds which enjoys seeing someone do what they love and love
> >what they do. Again your statements are true in many respects,
> >but you are dropping water on the fire.
>
> I remain open to the idea that someone may discover a "market"
> among Apple II enthusiasts--like the CFFA card--but viable ideas
> in this area are few and far between, it seems.

Since you brought up the CFFA card, it has not been the great success
that the first run was. He has quite a number of them left. AFAIK, he
has over 100 of them left. Would be nice to see some of them modded
to allow the use of IDE CD-Rom drives, or to use them with smaller
CF cards in the II+.

Bill @ GarberStreet Enterprizez };-)
Web Site - http://garberstreet.netfirms.com
Email - willy46pa@comcast.net



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