Apple III - $15

[wood_e]

Got an apple III from ISU's surplus for $15

No idea if it works

Kind of dirty

Anyone knows anything about these? Any interesting things i can do with it? I have no software for it.

 

[Mike Richardson]

$15 is a steal dude. Hold on to it, even if it doesn't work.

 

[System7]

Wow, its quite the find for 15$.

If it doesn't work, you can try the drop onto table trick.

 

[joshc]

Too bad its not a III+, the one that fixed all the problems.

I wrote an article about this machine a few years back:

http://lowendmac.com/coventry/06/apple-iii-failure.html

More information here:

http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/appleii/appleiii.html

This website should help you get going with it:

http://www.wap.org/a3/

Definitely one of Apple's stupidest hardware designs, and the software also sucked (on the first model). But yes, $15 is a steal.

 

[iMac600]

If it doesn't work, you can try the drop onto table trick.

I'd have thought lifting the top case and pushing the socketed IC's back down would be a more reliable fix, but whatever works...

 

[Dog Cow]

Any interesting things i can do with it? I have no software for it.

Unfortunately, probably the most interesting thing about having one, is indeed the fact that you have one. The Apple III was a flop, and there's not a lot of software which was written for it.

But, as I'm sure many people of this forum will be only too quick to point out if I don't do it first, one can run most Apple II software on the Apple III.

 

[luddite]

Got an apple III from ISU's surplus for $15

I'll give you $16 for it... no questions asked!

;-)

It's a fairly rare machine, so even if you can't get it working you stand to make a little cash out of it.

 

[wood_e]

Thanks for the comments. If I ever get desperate for some cash it might go on ebay...

I'm planning on taking it apart, cleaning it and then snapping a few pictures next week. This case is a behemoth!

 

[Dog Cow]

If I ever get desperate for some cash it might go on ebay...

Worst case scenario. Thanks for not feeding the piranhas.

 

[oldappleguy]

did you get a monitor with it? I have a couple of /// s If you need a system disk for it I can send you one

 

[joshc]

This case is a behemoth!

When you open it you'll be able to see all the glaring design flaws. An awfully cramped case with no airflow to speak of, and no vents in the case to compensate for this - I'd imagine the enclosed PSU gets quite hot. Those 5.25" drives also generate a reasonable amount of heat, even when not in use.

 

[Kyvinaria]

Too bad its not a III+, the one that fixed all the problems.

On the contrary, he's very lucky it's not a ///+, as an earlier /// is probably rarer (Not sure about this though, I don't know the production numbers for each version)

You're a very lucky man Wood-e! I'd kill for a ///!

 

[joshc]

I think some corrections need to be made here.

As far as I know, there were two revisions of the Apple III. The initial revision was released during May 1980, this was the one with all the problems. Apple attempted to fix the problems with a revised model released in late 1981, also called the Apple III. But then Regis McKenna, who did Apple's advertising back then, refused to promote the III anymore.

14,000 original systems were replaced by Apple with the late 1981 revised model. Even some of the replacements failed. Apple released the Apple III+ in December 1983. From what I can tell, the III had such a bad reputation that hardly anyone bought a III+, nobody trusted it!

Either way, all three revisions of this system are very rare, and you are very lucky to have one in your possession.

wood_e, when you open up the machine up, let us know if there's any indication of a Rev on the logicboard.

EDIT: If I'm talking rubbish, then feel free to correct me. It was back in 2006 that I researched the Apple III, and I haven't actually looked into the specific differences between the 1980 III, 1981 III, and the 1983 III+. It would be interesting to see if the III+ has a different layout inside, and I would imagine it also has a fan?

 

[wood_e]

I found out last night it is a 256k model. I will investigate further next week

 

[joshc]

I found out last night it is a 256k model. I will investigate further next week

Then it's most likely a December 1981 revised model...Unless its an original that has been upgraded, but I doubt that. I'm not sure if Apple used the designation of 'Rev A' on logicboards and such back then, but I'm sure there will be something on the board to let us know what model it is.

 

[wood_e]

pics!!

Motherboard:

RAM Upgrade card:

Found this inside too... no idea...

PSU...

Enclosed in... (WTF?!?)

Empty case:

 

[Bunsen]

Great score for collector value, if not so much for practical use. That RAM upgrade card might be worth something if the rest of the machine's a no-go.

In my hands it would get a new ITX or Mac motherboard in about ten seconds }

 

[wood_e]

It powers on and beeps... YAY!

 

[wood_e]

nevermind - something poped in the PSU - must be a fuse....