Oh my, what I have I started. Apple 1 registry maintenance has become far more effort than I expected. They keep popping out of the woodwork, sometimes in waves. Others are changing hands, at a steady rate. In the last year, quite a surprising number have been brought up into operating condition.

In an attempt to make it easier for me to maintain this data, I have made a significant update. A table of all 61 units that I have listed in the registry has been added, with some major characteristics listed and links to individual units descriptions. Detailed descriptions are now organized into three catagories.

I also added a number of newly uncovered Apple 1s, including one in the National Museum in Scotland and one possibly owned by the first female graduate of Stanford Law School.

The curators of the Nixdorf Computer Museum in Germany were nice enough to send me pictures of their unit. I always appreciate receiving quality images of original Apple 1 computers. The table indicates what kind of images that I presently possess, so if you have quality images of units, that you think may improve my image library, let me know.

http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-originals.htm

Check out this article in the San Jose Mercury News. I never thought that this would be the result when Ralph Simpson, a volunteer for the History San Jose museum contacted me for tips on bringing up their Apple 1. I put him in touch with Wendell Sander and Dan Kottke and the rest is “news”. Note that there were several Apple 1s present that are not in my registry. Probably an indication of how many are still out there in the wild, unaccounted for.

It also shows why I don’t count working Apple 1s anymore. Ever since it was determined that working 1s were far more valuable than non-working 1’s, everyone is fixing them up. In a way, this is great, as we originally noted that there weren’t many that were operating, anymore. We thought it was a bad thing that so many were not powered up and being used. My point of view has shifted a little bit, since there are quality reproductions out there, that can be operated instead, and the value of the originals has gone through the roof, maybe running those old machines doesn’t make as much sense, as it used to. That said, so far, I haven’t heard of one being damaged by power up, so why not run them and keep them working.

There is another small number that is interesting, though. There are not very many left in the hands of original owners. Original owner, Wendell Sander asked me this question, and I could only come up with a few, though I’m guessing that there are more out there in the “wild”, still in the hands of original owners. I’m not giving a count, but it definitely seems like a small number.

Also Bob Luther is launching a book on the Apple 1. His kickstarter is almost over, but it sounds like it will be available elsewhere, afterward. I was interviewed by one of Bob’s assistants a couple of years ago, so this book has been in the works for a while. It will be interesting to read what Bob has found out about the Apple 1.

a1-6502-quick reference

I’m calling version .97, my beta version.

Update – this version has errors in the definition of the ROL and ROR instructions – replaced by http://www.willegal.net/blog/?p=6454

Apple/Mimeo 1 people, be aware that normal production and stocking of MPS3704 seems to have stopped with major distributers. I just received this email from Mouser.

Hello Mike,

Purchase Order # XXXXXXXXXX
Part # 610-MPS3704
Minimum Order Quantity: 3,350

This part is not listed at Digikey, Allied, Unicorn or Jameco at all. Note that date code fanatics have been seeking out old Motorola MPS3704s from surplus suppliers for their Mimeo reproductions, anyway. It looks like future supplies of these transistors may have to come from those surplus suppliers.

All the press about yet another record Apple 1 action has brought a few more original Apple 1’s to my attention. I have added a couple more to the registry, and updated some information on some that I knew about, but now have better information on.

I have heard about another machine, with a real interesting story, but am waiting for an image, before I add that one to the registry. Also it looks like the Ricket’s computer is now owned by Robert Luther ( Robert Luther’s Apple 1). I will update that next time around.

By the way, I did not tell anyone that the owner of the recently auctioned Apple 1 was Fred Hatfield, a former Boston Red Sox player who died in the late 90s. Since Fred contacted me a year or two ago, with information on his Apple 1, I knew that he was still alive and kicking and not a deceased baseball player. I sincerly hope that this mistake was someone else making a wrong assumption and the Breker’s forgetting where they heard it from.

I guess that is the way of the world, when the amount of money involved in transactions like this gets to ridiculous levels.

In a previous post, I talked about how the lettering on the Apple 1 was probably done with a K&E Leroy system. However, I forgot to mention that the larger letters were not done with Leroy. Those letters were probably done with a Letraset or similar rub on transfer system. Take a close look at the Apple Computer 1 lettering, which is representative of the larger lettering seen throughout the board.

Apple1logo

This lettering is in the general form of Helvetica, with subtle differences from most variations of Helvetica that you see today. Through extensive searching I found a very close match with Neue Haas Grotest Std Text 65 Medium. This is a recreated version of the predecessor to Helvetica. Check out this page with more information about this font.

Here is a recreation of the Apple Computer 1 lettering using this font. I think it would be hard to beat this match.

Replicated Apple Computer 1 logo

replicated Apple 1 copyright notice

If someone has a Letraset catalog from the 70’s, it would be interesting to see if they can find a good match in one of those catalogs.