Subject: Apple clone

From: Mike <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Jul 14 18:28:00 2003

I was given an interesting machine on the weekend.  I was told it was an Apple 
clone from Saudi Arabia.  One of the manuals that came with it says micom, 
but it doesn't look like my other one which is in a apple II style case with 
the built in keyboard.   This is in what from the front looks like a PC clone 
with the dual floppies, and an external keyboard which is missing.  

http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600/clone.jpg

This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture should be a 
little easier to view.

---

From: Chad Fernandez <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Jul 15 00:48:00 2003

Wow, that's neat.  It does look like an XT class case.  Do you see any 
markings on the boards themselves?  Is the case truly a converted XT 
case...... does it have the proper holes/slots etc for an XT?

Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA

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From: "TeoZ" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Jul 15 00:59:01 2003

Huge box for such a small machine

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From: Mike <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue Jul 15 18:39:00 2003

> case...... does it have the proper holes/slots etc for an XT?

It has the smaller holes for an apple.  There are no markings that I've 
noticed but I haven't taken a look at the bottom yet.  

this is from the back
 http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600/clone2.jpg

The connector in front of the machine was not attached, but there is one open 
socket inside.  Has anyone seen these before.  What is it used for?

> Chad Fernandez
> Michigan, USA
>
> Mike wrote:
> > I was given an interesting machine on the weekend.  I was told it was an
> > Apple clone from Saudi Arabia.  One of the manuals that came with it says
> > micom, but it doesn't look like my other one which is in a apple II style
> > case with the built in keyboard.   This is in what from the front looks
> > like a PC clone with the dual floppies, and an external keyboard which is
> > missing.
> >
> > This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture should be
> > a little easier to view.

---

From: "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Jul 16 01:43:00 2003

>I was given an interesting machine on the weekend.  I was told it was an
Apple 
>This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture should be a 

Looking at the motherboard it looks like a generic Apple ][+ clone.  Clones
based on the same motherboard were sold here (Australia) in XT style cases
like the one you have, smaller plastic desktop cases (floppy drives side by
side) and Apple ][ style cases with external drives.  I've had all three
variants over time.  I've seens ads for a luggable version with an internal
mono monitor, but I've never found one.

---

From: Mark Firestone <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Jul 16 02:50:01 2003

In a real Apple ][ (and //e) the open socket is a joystick connector.  In 
the //e it is for compatibility... as the //e has a "proper" joystick port 
on the back...

>socket inside.  Has anyone seen these before.  What is it used for?

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From: "Ernest" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu Jul 17 11:01:28 2003

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]On
> Behalf Of Mike

> This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture

Yup. This style of clone case was popular in Germany. I have two in cases
like this one but the cases were smashed all to hell when they were mailed
to me from Germany. The top flips up to show the internals but it's hard to
replace parts because they soldered wires from the cards (video for example)
to the case. Both of my AT Case clones were very generic but I like the
external keyboards. The power supply plugs stick out of the hole that would
normally have the big PC/AT on-off switch on the side. The layout works well
enough, and it's nice and roomy inside but it annoyed me that so much was
soldered together when simple connectors would have worked better.

Is yours working?

---

From: Vintage Computer Festival <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 20 11:57:01 2003

> This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture should be a

Very interesting.  It looks like someone just put an Apple ][ clone
motherboard inside a clone PC case.

Unique, nonetheless.

-- 

Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger                http://www.vintage.org

 * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

---

From: Vintage Computer Festival <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun Jul 20 12:07:00 2003

> mono monitor, but I've never found one.

I found the luggable version...sort of.  It's actually got a PC
motherboard inside, but it's the same thing as the Apple ][ version.  I
have an advertisement from the company that made these, and they list both
PC and Apple ][ versions.

--

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From: "Mike van Bokhoven" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon Jul 21 13:13:15 2003

Hi,

I used to build machines identical to this (in New Zealand). The cases were
made in Hong Kong (I think, maybe Taiwan - can't remember!), and were
exactly like XT cases but with different cutouts, mounting holes etc. They
came with external keyboards and adapters, which was a big ease of use bonus
over the standard Apple II clones, I reckon.

Anyway, looking at this one, I believe I still have a keyboard that would
fit it. Whether it works or not is another question. I think it had a female
15-pin socket (forget the terminology for them - DC15??) on the keyboard
cable, but as I haven't looked at it in years, I could be mistaken. Feel
free to make me an offer for it if you want it - I'm not going to ask much
for it, especially as I don't know if it still works! Plus, postage from NZ
might be expensive...

Mike (another one)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 11:23 AM
Subject: Apple clone

Apple
> This time I set the camera to the lowest setting so the picture should be
a