The machine that launched Apple Computer, the Apple I, is about to make a comeback, though itis not coming from Apple. According to an article on Wired News, a computer technician named Vince Briel has built an Apple I replica that he plans to sell for US$200. Since the parts that comprised the original Apple I are hard to come by 27 years later, Briel has built the machine using modern parts, painstakingly making sure that the new parts precisely emulate the old.
His problem has been that he couldnit legally sell the machine without Appleis consent, due to the fact that it would need to ship with Appleis ROM in order to be useable. Apple had been unresponsive to his requests, so he went directly to the person who wrote the ROM, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, who enthusiastically approved Brielis request. From Wired News:
"Sure you can use the ROMis," said Woz in an e-mail that Briel forwarded to Wired News. "Iim sure that Apple would deny this request, even though what you are speaking of is very noble and cannot hurt Apple in any way."
Besides, Woz continued, he freely distributed the Apple Iis schematics and ROM code at the Homebrew Computer Club in 1975, long before he and Steve Jobs went into partnership and began selling the machines from Jobsi parentsi garage.
"The best anyone could say was that it was mine and that I made it public," Woz said to Briel.
You can read the full article at Wired Newsi Web site.