Applefritter - Documents

The Data Domain

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 09:52:41 -0800

This interview is an excerpt from [url=http://www.applefritter.com/replica][i]Apple I Replica Creation[/i][/url], by Tom Owad. Ray Borril began his career in electronics after leaving the US Army in 1956. Employed as a technician at Brookhaven National Labs, he constructed digital systems for nuclear research. Ray enlisted in the USAF in 1958 and attended courses on the computers used in the SAGE system. Honorably discharged from the Air Force in July, 1959, Ray soon founded Applied Digital Data Systems (ADDS) which became one of the leading susppliers of IBM and Teletype compatable CRT Terminals. He moved to Indiana in 1973 to work as a Systems engineer, designing and developing computer bassed systems for psychological research. In February, 1976 Ray opened The Data Domain, one of the pioneering retail computer stores. He retired in 1984. TO: What is your background in computers? RB: If I have any talent at all, it is the task of telling or writing “war stories” of the computer industry, which I have been directly involved with since the fall of 1958. I got into the personal computer business sort of passively in 1975, when in November I attended the famous Kansas City meeting sponsored by Byte Magazine. The purpose was to develop a specification describing the operating parameters of an interface between a serial data port on a personal computer and an audio cassette player so that data could be compatible between systems. It was a lofty but naive objective because virtually every manufacturer in the industry already had a product on the market or at least on the drawing boards. There were more than 25 people there, but I was the only one who did not represent anyone but myself. I met and became somewhat acquainted with Don Tarbell, Don Lancaster, Harry Garland of Cromemco, Hal Chamberlain of The Computer Hobbyist, Lee Felsenstein, the people from Processor Technology and IMSAI, and more. I decided there and then to open a computer store as soon as possible. It took me almost three months, but The Data Domain started in about 750 Sq. Ft. just off the Court House Square, in Bloomington, Indiana, on Feb. 12th 1976. At that time we were authorized dealers for IMSAI, Processor Technology, Cromemco, and several makers of after-market add-ons, as well as TV monitors, keyboards, every computer book we could find, every computer magazine on the market, and even computer generated works of art! At the World ALTAIR Convention in March, I met and became friends with Ted Nelson, author of Compute Lib/Dream Machine. Ted was the keynote speaker and kept the large audience in hysterics for an hour giving his somewhat risqué predictions of the future digital world. Ted was there with his friend Jim Banish, and they told me that they were opening a store in Evanston Ill. and thought we should establish some sort of relationship. They were interested in my experience and talent for selling computers and I could take advantage of their great financial management group. The result was that I became the vice president of the “itty bitty machine company” as well as the sole proprietor of The Data Domain. I have a picture (see figure) of The Data Domain that I took in April or May of 1976. It is my firm belief that we were the first to use the term Personal Computer commercially. DEC used it internally in 1972 or 73. and Apple used it in a Wall Street Journal ad in 1978 and got the credit for making it catch on, but I used it first! [center] TO: How did you become involved with the Apple I? RB: By June the store was going great guns and I was always on the lookout for new products to sell. One day, I got a call from a young man named Steve Jobs. He had just spoken with Jim Banish of the itty bitty machine company who told Steve that I was the guy he would have to convince since I made all the purchasing decisions. He went into his spiel about what a great computer he had since there was no assembly required (a slight exaggeration since one had to wire a power supply, keyboard cable, display monitor and some other ancillary stuff, then find a way to package it all up nicely.) But Steve is a good talker and we needed more products to sell. So, as was routine in those early days, I ordered 15 Apple 1 computers with the optional cassette interface card, sight unseen, on the word of a guy I had never met or heard of, and which would be delivered C.O.D. “soon.” And thus, The Data Domain and the itty bitty machine company became two of the first four dealers for Apple Computer Co. The first dealer was The Byte Shop and the second was Stan Viet's store in New York. The Apple 1 was hard to sell because of the packaging problem, and for some reason we were never supplied with the cassette version of Apple Basic, which made some buyers very unhappy. But, eventually, all fifteen were sold, except for two. One of these was a machine we gave away to the US Olympic Tennis team. Only a few weeks later, it went down with a plane that killed several members and destroyed the Apple 1. The other one stayed in my display case for a couple of years. When it began to gain fame for its design, I decided to take it home and keep it. There it stayed for 25 years until I decided to auction it off in 2001. TO: What was your impression of the Apple I? Did you do any programming for it? RB: Of course, in my case, there was no real personal decision in choosing and purchasing the Apple 1 over some competitor. I listened to Steve's sales pitch and it seemed like a good idea to be able to offer a computer that did not require any soldering skill. It was inexpensive enough to sell, and we had the opportunity to increase the value of the total sale (and increase the profit margins) by selling the things needed to make a complete system, such as a cassette recorder, power supply components, keyboard, monitor, and a case, or a further option, we offered to assemble the whole thing. While my techs wrote some programs for the Apple 1, I did not and only learned to run some demos that we wrote, and things like that. I spent more of my time teaching people how to make interfaces, etc. for all of our computers. I didn't get closely involved with the Apple 1 like I did with the Apple II and S-100 bus computers. TO: What were some common peripherals and modifications for the Apple I? RB: Printers were popular, but in those days about the only printers available to the general public were Teletypewriters and lots of surplus units, both serial and parallel. You wouldn't believe the confusion and frustration of hooking up a simple Model 33 ASR Teletype to a serial interface when you had no idea how a Teletype works and never heard of RS-232C! One of the nice things about the Apple 1 was that it required no modifications to make it run and was a complete, working system once the ancillary stuff was assembled. Occasionally, someone would wish to change from the 6502 processor to the Motorola 6800, which the mother board was designed to allow, or add a serial RS232C interface in the “kludge” area, but these were not ordinary modifications and rarely done. RB: The real fact is that the Apple 1 potential never was exploited by Apple. At the Atlantic City convention in August, all attending dealers were shown a demonstration of the color graphics of the future Apple II and that was the end of orders for the Apple 1.

Epilogue

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 14:02:00 -0700

[center][image:4148][/center] The total coast for this system, motherboard and extra 4k of Ram memory and the cassette interface board, if you paid the full price for this Apple1 system it would have cost $861.66 and it had no graphics. The Apple 1 computer outputted 40 characters per line to the screen. This also did not include a Keyboard, the two A.C. power transformers needed, the tape cassette recorder and a case to put your Apple computer system into. If you have any questions you can email me, I will try to get back to you, it might take awhile. Any questions on the motherboard will have to be resolved from the pictures for now as the computer system etc are off premise in safe storage. Joe [center][image:4146][/center]

Apple 1 For Sale

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 13:54:45 -0700

[center][image:4146] All items are on this web site.[/center] (1) Apple 1 computer in case. (2) Five (5) original manuals, a complete set, as of this time I know of no one else that has a complete set of manuals. (3) Three (3) original Apple 1 cassette tapes from Apple Computer. (4) The SWTPC PR-40 printer. This printer itself is an antique and hard to find. It is unique to the Apple1 computer because of an article in InterFace Age magazine, Oct 1976. (5) The InterFace Age magazine dated Oct 1976. (6) The Nuts & Volts magazine July 2002 issue. Has an article and pictures on the Apple 1 computer. (7) A+, an Apple magazine, dated Jan 1987. The 10-year anniversary of the Apple II but has pictures of the Apple 1. Done with Steve Wozniak. (8 ) The Brief Case, pictures on web site. (9) Last but not least, the postcard that was signed by Steve Wozniak, a prized possession. The cost of the Apple 1 system is Thirty thousand ($30,000) US dollars. You must be able to pick up the system or arrange to have it picked up. Other conditions apply but will discuss with the buyer before agreeing on a deal for the Apple1 system. I reserve the right to refuse any offer. If more than one party is interested, highest offer will get the Apple 1 system provided all conditions are meet. Remember that best estimates are that only 50 Apple 1 computers are known to exist. One sold for fifty thousand ($50,000) US dollars. Mine has the complete set of manuals, the PR-40 printer and the post card signed by the WOZ. Has much more going for it. [b]Check out this website:[/b] [url=http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,20271,00.html]Icon for Sale: The First Apple I[/url] Please no phone calls. All items are on this web site.

Finished

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 13:40:26 -0700

[center][image:4132] A view of the back, you can see all the switches, plugs and jacks that I added, for video, printer, cassette interface output and input for the cassette recorder and some spares. Also you can see the wires coming out for the tape cassette, left side. [image:4133] The switches on the right side control input/output to the tape cassette and for the SWTPC PR-40 printer. [image:4134] A couple of manuals and a cassette tape, all originals. [image:4135] With the top cover off, you can see the fan, speaker, Eprom and Cassette boards. [image:4136] You can see the speaker, fan and the two A.C. transformers used to power the motherboard. [image:4137] Inside shot, you can see the bus slots and the cassette and Eprom Boards. Also right above the Capacitors (blue) and to the right of them you see some of the new 16k ram chips. [image:4138] The power supply area. I put heat sinks on the three regulators to the bottom right of the 5 volt regulator with the larger heat sink fins. [image:4139] Here is the expansion bus with the three slots that I put into the Apple 1 computer. Cassette Interface board at the top of picture. [image:4140] Here is a picture between rows C and D at board level on the motherboard.[/center]

6502/6800 CPU's

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 13:18:00 -0700

[center][image:4127] The Apple 1 computer used the MOS Technology Inc. 6502 cpu chip. When converting to a 6800 cpu, you pulled the 6502 and just plugged in the 6800 cpu into the socket and added the other needed parts and you then had a 6800 cpu Apple1 computer. Notice the date on the MOS 6502 cpu in my computer. [image:4128] This is the original MOS Technology booklet. [image:4130] The dotted in portion on the circuit board is where the components go for the 6800 cpu if you use it instead of the 6500 cpu. There was also some jumpers or pads that you had to deal with.[/center]

Cassette Interface

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 13:07:29 -0700

[center][image:4122] The top board is the Cassette interface. Going down you see two blank slots in the extension bus that I added. [image:4123] The front of the Cassette Interface card, the two jacks, top left side are where the cassette player plugs into for the recording and playing back of the tapes. [image:4124] Back of the Cassette Interface card, you can see that I hard wired the jacks and ran the wires to a new set of jacks in the back of the new computer case. [image:4125] This is the tape cassette player that I used with the Apple 1 computer. Read and write functions to the Cassette player was controlled by a switch on the front panel on the new computer case.[/center]

Adding Memory

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 12:49:44 -0700

[center][image:4116] Wires at the top left of the breadboard area are for the memory chips and the wires at the right are for the SWTPC PR-40 Printer. [image:4117] These are the two chips in the breadboard area added to control the 16k memory chips. [image:4118] This shows some of the new 16k memory chips, you needed eight of them for 16k ram [image:4119] You can see the eight new 16k memory chips at the bottom of the board. [image:4120] A look at the memory-addressing jumper field.[/center]

EPROM Board

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 12:30:32 -0700

[center][image:4112] The front of the card shows the EPROM's [image:4113] Shows the wire layout. [image:4114] Shows the EPROM board plugged into the extension slot. [image:4112] Sockets are wire wrapped.[/center]

The Beginning

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 12:23:35 -0700

[center][image:4106] Yes I still have the desk and it's still a mess. [image:4107] This is how the Apple 1 computer was first hooked up. [image:4108] That is a Zenith B/W TV modified for video that I used as a monitor. The Cassette tape player was a J C Penney model 681-6531, which I still have. [image:4109] I was going to put the keyboard into its own case at first. [image:4110] I build a power supply on the keyboard case, top, left and center. Now the keyboard was getting its power from here and not the Apple 1 computer. [/center]

Powerbook 5300 Prototype

Fri, 11 Jun 2004 11:58:00 -0700

So a friend sent me this Powerbook 5300 today. The LCD bezel is sort of off-white with silver lettering on the "PowerPC", but the rest is totally clear. [center][thumb:3154][/center] It is a 603 running at 100MHz, has a 500MB HDD, 1MB VRAM, and has 24MB of RAM (8MB on-board). It has a 10.4" dual-scan LCD with VGA-out. The lcd only does 256 colors, but an external monitor will do thousands (below 800x600). Anyway, it has an extra battery, a CRT adapter, and a power adapter (the connector is a little loose but it works fine)... and this thing is HEAVY. Here are some more photos: [center][thumb:3164] [thumb:3163] [thumb:3162] [thumb:3161] [thumb:3160] [thumb:3159] [thumb:3158] [thumb:3157] [thumb:3156] [thumb:3155][/center]

Outbound Notebook

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:02:46 -0700

[center][image:3362][/center] Outbound Systems is the only pre-PPC clone manufacturer to actually receive Apple's blessing. Not coincidentally, the Notebook is the most plentiful clone, and Outbound Systems the most successful clone manufacturer. [center][image:3363][/center] The Outbound Notebook's processor, RAM, and ROM are all stored on a removable daughtercard. This is very fortunate, as the rest of the system is nearly impossible to get apart. Access is easily provided to all componets that the user may want to swap out. [center][image:3364] Mac SE ROMs, top; Mac Classic ROMs, bottom.[/center] ROMs from both the Mac SE and Mac Classic (and others?) can be used in the Outbound Notebook. In order to make the Notebook functional, Apple ROMs had to be installed. If the user already owned a Macintosh, pulling the ROMs from that unit was the most cost-effective way to go. [center][image:3365][/center] The Outbound Notebook uses generic video-camera batteries, an incredible advantage over other laptops. Batteries for the Notebook are cheap ($30 at Radio Shack) and plentiful. Compare this to Powerbook 100 batteries, which must be specially ordered through an Apple Authorized Dealer for $80 (now, no longer available at all), and are often depleted beyond recovery on arrival. The hard drives are IDE. I'm note sure what the reasoning was beyond this move (probably cost), but the drive works well enough. If it dies I could be in trouble, though.

Outbound Laptop

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 17:48:44 -0700

[center][i]Macintosh set your mind free. Now, set your Macintosh free. Lightweight. Powerful. Affordable. Don't settle for deskbound when you can be... Outbound.[/i] [/center] [center][image:3352][/center] The Outbound Laptop is a great computer. Other portable clone manufacturers settled for repackaging Mac Pluses. Outbound made their own. And they made it better. The Outbound Laptop weighs in at 9.3 lbs, heavy for a laptop today, but light as a feather compared to the Mac Portable. The computer's design is very innovative. The keyboard detaches and communicates with the computer via an infra-red port. The pointing device, built into the keyboard, is an Isopoint Trackbar, which is a cross between the eraser stubs on IBM Thinkpads and a trackball. [center][image:3357][/center] The motherboard and floppy drive (mine doesn't have an HD, though some did) are stored behind the LCD. The battery is in the computer's stand. The computer can be propped up at the edge of the desk, taking up only about 6 inches, and the keyboard, with its infra-red port, can be placed anywhere - under papers, on top of books. When the keyboard isn't needed, it can simply snap onto the front of the unit. The Outbound Laptop possesses a near perfect desktop design. And it also makes a pretty decent portable. There's a little bar that pops out of the back of the keyboard that iphysically attaches the keyboard to the computer, giving the user a perfectly functional, if a bit top-heavy, laptop. When it's time to actually move the computer, the base folds up, the keyboard snaps into place, and the handle pops out, making transportation effortless. [center][image:3358][/center] I am very interested in acquiring a power adapter for the Outbound Laptop. I burnt mine up by inadvertantly connecting it to an Outbound [i]Notebook[/i].

Systematics T5170-2

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:06:44 -0700

Like the recased Mac Plus by Techmatics, this Mac 512k has been re-engineered by Systematics General Corporation to meet TEMPEST standards. Unlike the Techmatics unit, Systematics chose to leave the Mac in its original case. While Techmatics changed the case, but left the actual Macintosh untouched, Systematics did the opposite, removing connectors and changing switches. [center][image:3335][/center] Front of the machine. Nothing unusual except for the square slot cutout where the keyboard RJ14 connector used to be. [center][image:3336][/center] Back of the machine. The brightness nob, power switch, and power cable have all been replaced with componets meeting TEMPEST standards. Also note that many of the ports have been removed, particularly that for the floppy drive. [center][image:3337][/center] The backside label. The manufacturer (or rather re-manufacturer) is Systematics General Corporation of Sterling,Virginia (a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Research Corporation). [center][image:3338][/center] Guess what? That slot is another Sony 3.5" floppy that has been installed internally. The slot has been manually cut out. [center][image:3339][/center] A close-up of the keyboard connector. It attaches to the unit via the modular plug. Then the panel screws on to the front of the machine. The duct tape looking piece of material is a metallic mesh that prevents leakage of emissions. Note the brass gasket attaching the shielded cable to the keyboard housing. The metal box on the back covers the old keyboard connector. More information is available at [url=http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm/tempest.html]The Complete, Unofficial TEMPEST Information Page.[/url] This Systematics T5170-2 belongs Sellam Ismail, who kindly provided the pictures and information used on this page. Sellam runs the [url=http://www.vintage.org/]Vintage Computer Festival[/url] in California.

RealTech Travler

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:19:30 -0700

[center][image:3327][/center] It's understandable why most of the "clones" on this site are obscure. They're really just Macs in a different case with a different logo. The RealTech Travler takes this a steps further. It is a Macintosh [i]clone[/i] with a different label. The RealTech Travler is identical to the 200 series Outbounds, right down to the sticker inside the ports flap that reads "Outbound Systems Inc., Boulder CO; Model 200 Series." Jay Menna tells the company's history: "A company from Humble Texas had an agreement with Outbound. They changed names a few times. First they were called macRentals and they were in the "rental software business". Then they began to sell software under the name Software That Fits. Finally they began to sell all sorts of Mac Hardware and changed their name to Hardware That Fits. "They went public as a penny stock. They had some VC money involved. I'm not sure of the details. I do recall the going public celebration. They roasted a pig named Scuzzy as SCSI had just come to the mac. The company then moved to Conroe. "About the time the Mac portable came out Real Provencher, president of HTF, struck a deal with the Outbound people to simply act as an OEM for Hardware that Fits and their house brand "RealTech" (They also sold a ton of printers and hard drives. Perhaps even a scanner or two. They did not manufacture anything themselves.) "At any rate, the Mac Portable was a joke and the Outbound was really cool stuff. Especially the SCSI disk mode. "Along came Apple with the PowerBook 100, 140, and 180. The Outbound was a better machine but the cost of production was too high and I believe Outbound collapsed. "A few years later RealTech got caught up in some nasty litigation over some printer stuff and eventually proved to the judge and the world that they were ok guys. The problem was the fight dang nearly killed them. I believe you can still buy consumables for their printers from them." RealTech was owned by Real Provencher. [center][image:3329][/center] The RealTech logo. [center][image:3330][/center] The computer's bottom side, showing the RealTech Travler insignia. Note that RealTech really did spell "Travler" with just one 'e'!

Cutting Edge Quatro 850

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:02:06 -0700

[center][image:3321][/center] The Cutting Edge Quatro 850 is actually a Centris 650 repackaged in a larger, more expandable case. According to EveryMac.com, Apple somehow attempted to put a stop to the production of these units as Cutting Edge did not have a MacOS license. [center][image:3323][/center] The Quatro 850 shipped standard with 8 MB RAM and a 270 MB hard drive. This unit has been upgraded to 44 MB RAM and two 500 MB hard drives. [center][image:3324][/center] The panel around the ports is a bit crude in comparison's to Apple's casing. Note the NUBUS slot covers. [center][image:3325][/center]