In a previous post, I mentioned that an amazing vintage find has just been made. Last week, I received an email with this picture.
Apple II rev 0
The person said, “Hi mike. I found your page via Google. Can you help me identify this apple product please? I think it is an apple ii board. ”
I receive these sorts of requests from time to time and this request for information is typical. My answer went like this:”It’s a revision 0 Apple II motherboard. You don’t find many with original 4K memory jumper blocks still installed. Almost all of them were upgraded to use 16K memory chips. Looks like someone has done some unconventional memory upgrades, but it otherwise looks pretty original. It could be a really early one, the serial number is usually written in sharpie in the white block near the power supply connector. There may be some masking tape over it.”
After a few more email exchanges that day, the person sent me an email declaring that he thought it was “Charley”. Charley is the machine that John Draper, “Captain Crunch” turned into the first phone freak computer. This machine was seized during a police raid at a housewarming party, held on 22nd of October, 1977. Here is a link to a copy of the party invitation.
There is always the danger of fraud in cases like this, but I’m pretty well convinced that this is actually “Charley”, and I’ll explain more in a future post.
That’s certainly an interesting find if it’s genuine. Is it just the motherboard or is there more of the computer?
There are a few more bits and pieces, which I’ll detail in future posts.
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I am the only person who can authenticate what Nick Claims to have, and I can only do that when re-united with the actual material. I mean, it looks like it might be my old Apple II but the photos fail to reveal how the RAM chips 1k X 1 bit, were inserted into the board to get it up to 12k.
In 1978 when I left Pa. I left my old Apple II in the care of the attorney who handled my case, he has since passed. it was my intention to have him send it to me once my case was resolved and over, which did not take place until 1979 after my probation revocation hearing was over, and I have since lost touch with George Goldstein who eventually passed away.
I did recover the phone board, an interface card that interface the Apple II with telephone.
Some of the details of which Were recovered By Phil Lapsley From court records Involving my case.
john
Hi John,
Thanks for taking to time to comment on my blog. I hope that someday you are given the opportunity to authenticate that computer one way or another. Like many things on my blog and website, they are what I would call informed speculation, and readers should treat it, as such. Sometimes my speculation is wrong, sometimes right.