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| Looking for Apple I Replica |
Posted by: ronan on 2021-11-26 01:39:40
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for an Apple I Replica to ask Santa 🎅
I would like the closest replica to the original, no modern microcontrollers on it, that assembles with a PCB (no breadboard).
I'm good enough at soldering so no big issues.
Do you know where I can find such a replica ? (In EU if it's not too much to ask 😋)
(I did see the Replica 1 and Replica 1 Plus but I would like something closer to the original if it exists)
Thanks a lot ! |
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2021-11-26 08:24:40
The Replica boards are probably as close as you're going to find. Only unavailable unavailable components were changed from what I recall. What a project that was for the day!
It will be interesting to see what may have happened since. |
Posted by: ronan on 2021-11-26 08:49:00
Thanks for your reply 🙂
So even if I order a replica PCB of the original Apple I it would be nearly impossible to get some of the original chips ? |
Posted by: davidg5678 on 2021-11-26 09:34:13
I saw this video about building an Apple 1 replica a few months ago:
The gist of it was that you can assemble a pretty realistic-looking replica however it is a challenge to find original (and long-since discontinued parts). The obscure computer chips that the Apple 1 used means this project could cost many hundred dollars. I seem to remember the figure $800 from the video, but it's been a while since I watched it.
Here's a link to an Apple 1 PCB replica from EU eBay.
It is probably possible to use modern microcontrollers that are modified to look almost identical to authentic ICs while costing significantly less, although this wouldn't be quite as authentic. |
Posted by: Gorgonops on 2021-11-26 09:48:55
I haven’t checked if they’re still doing it or what their current price is if they are, but specialty chip vendor Unicorn Electronics was for several years at least offering a parts kit to populate those replica Apple 1 PCBs for around $600.
The real killer is the shift register memory used in the video system. It was actually obsolete when the computer was designed, Woz used it because he was familiar with it from his time at HP and it was cheaply available as surplus. Literally everyone else had switched to static RAM. |
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