Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit

25 Feb 1998

...
   I wonder what the market would be for an Apple I
replica?  
 Depends on how precise you wanted to be.  As I've found out in checking
 into parts for a person that has one with a slight malfunction, there are
 parts of pure 'unobtainium' used in the Apple I.  A replication would
 probably require some redesign around the impacted parts.  
 Which parts are you looking for?  Certainly, many of the parts (especially
 those dynamic shift registers used in the video section) aren't easily
 bought.  But the last time I needed those for an Apple I repair they
 were readily available in some old video terminals from the same era.

 Dynamic shift registers are a technology that certainly has disappeared.
 I certainly do appreciate Larry Niven's analogy of trying to use a 747
 to rescue the crew and passengers of the Titanic :-)

 Tim. (shoppa(a)triumf.ca)

But, there are places that specialize in 'unobtainium'.  I called 
D.R. Components in FLA, for example, and they tracked down some 
*very* old Motorola character generator chips.

I couldn't afford them, but there they were . . . .

Jeff

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Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit