Mike's Hobby Blog

Checkout went well and no problems found on the new PCBs. Check out my Mimeo page.

For detailed ordering information, send an email to: mike@willegal.net.

regards,
Mike W.

I made a few changes for this batch based on several years worth of feedback. First of all, previous purchasers should not feel left behind, as the changes are minimal, and would not be noticeable to the vast majority of vintage computer hobbyists. A person not aware of the specific change made would have to study the boards for a long time to find any difference. To give you the idea of the scope of the change, I’m calling this new version, “version 1.01″. I believe Mimeos have always been the best reproduction Apple 1 motherboards made, and this tweak raises the bar, just a little bit more.

What follows is summary of changes.

1) I changed the solder mask to matte. I’ve had a few people bugging me for years to do matte, and have finally been convinced to change. I did a matte run a few years ago on the Apple II rev 0, but thought the glossy look gave a superior “look”, though not quite as authentic. I have been doing glossy since then. Even a board made with matte solder mask will not exactly match with an original board, as PCB manufacturing technology has changed and is not possible to replicate exactly with modern processes. I suppose someone could attempt to replicate old manufacturing process, but keep in mind that many of the raw materials going into a PCB have changed since the 70’s, not just the solder mask. In any case, once you populate the board with components, the difference isn’t very noticeable. If I had to pick which bare board I was going to frame, I’d pick a glossy board, since it just looks a bit flashier. Be aware that he matte boards also look awesome, and will be a step closer to the original in appearance.

2) A few minor changes were made to the silk screen, to better replicate an original board. Some of these minor differences from the original were found by me and some reported by other people. Most of the differences I’ve known about, are so minor, that no one other than me, ever noticed them.

3) A few minor changes were made to the copper layer on the front. Same comments as with the silk screen layer.

4) The board grid coordinate numbering and lettering along the edges has been slightly reduced in weight, to better match to original.

5) Mounting holes were shifted ever so slightly to better match up with original Apple 1 mounting holes.

So here is a partial view the rev 1.01 PCB. Unless something unexpected happens, I expect that this will the last update for a long time.

Mimeo Version 1.01

Since I made changes, I need to assemble and test the new PCB before shipping PCBs. The good news is that the first board is up and running memory tests at this moment and testing should be complete by Tuesday. I should be able to accept orders starting on Wednesday and plan on shipping the first batch next Monday (10/14).

Just a note to those looking for assembled systems, this prototype Mimeo needs an enclosure and soon I’ll be working on the building a prototype enclosure for this unit. I’ve also been working on a custom datanetics style keyboard for fully assembled systems that will use modern components.

I had to program a new batch of micro-controllers, so I decided to make a few minor tweaks to the firmware.

Check out the manual that is downloadable from the PS/2 keyboard adapter page.

Next batch of Mimeo boards are now on order. I should be able to pick them up in about 3 weeks. Sorry for the delay, to those that I promised boards in September, but a lot has been going on here at Mimeo headquarters.

This order was delayed, because a couple of weeks ago, I decided to investigate the possibility of using a different supplier, that would be able to work with me a little bit more. Though Advanced Circuits does fantastic work, they are set up to produce boards in a standard way. Whenever I have asked for them to do something a little different, I really haven’t received much help, or have been asked to pay for custom service, which is often more than I can afford.

An example is the Datanetics keyboard PCBs that I had made a couple of years ago. Even though those boards have no solder mask or silkscreen layer, I had to pay standard price. Other “online” PCB fab places have similar policies.

Yesterday, I visited a local place that I placed the order with. They took about an hour to talk to me. They even took me on a complete tour of their facility. I was pretty impressed at the complexity of the process. Anyone familiar with etching PCBs at home, would hardly recognize what is going on in a real production facility. I know I hardly did.

Pricing was competitive. I’m taking a slight hit on a one time set up charge, but I think the personal service will be worth this one time cost.

Stay tuned for an update as we proceed through these uncharted waters.

I never thought my interest in the early Apple Computers would result in this, but I have been mentioned or quoted in Make magazine, Computerworld and even a local edition of the Wall Street Journel

Now comes an awesome demonstration of a Mimeo by Evan Koblenz of MARCH at HOPE. This has just been published by the technology-related news website www.slashdot.org

Enough of the links – far more important to me than the press, is that I’ve become good friends with a wide range of super people with a similar interest in vintage computers. The people are the reason why I continue to invest so much time and energy in this hobby. Take away the people and I’m doing something else.

If you are on my waiting list for Mimeo kits, I should be contacting you in the next few days about PCBs. If you have been waiting for more than a month or two, feel free to remind me about your interest. PCBs will go first to those that have been on the waiting list the longest. The folks at Unicorn Electronics believe that they will have parts kits available as soon as next week. If you are waiting for assembled systems you will have to wait a while longer. I’m planning on doing enclosures this time and everything will take considerable time and effort to put together. I’m up to my ears in ongoing stuff, right now.

New pricing and basic ordering information is posted on my Mimeo page:

http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-kit.htm

Reminder – I will be supplying only PCBs (motherboard and monitor PROMs) – other parts for a complete motherboard kit should be obtained from Unicorn Electronics.

For the smaller kits, like the Brain Board, ACI and PS/2 adapter, I’m still supplying the entire kit.

PCBS

The batch of boards I purchased last month were all sold as bare boards, so I’m getting a new batch made up. More than half of those boards went to a company in Los Angeles which turned them into non-functional props for the new Steve Jobs movie starring Aston Kutcher. I’m expecting that that movie will feature some cool looking props, when it comes out.

Anyway the new batch of PCBs will take a couple of weeks to arrive.

Kits

I’m excited to announce that there will be some changes for those of you that wish to purchase Mimeo kits. I’ll be selling boards to you and parts kits will be purchased directly from Unicorn Electronics. I’ve sent BOM information to Rob at Unicorn, who is working hard to get all the required parts. Rob tells me that he has most parts on hand, already, but there are a few more to gather. I am really excited about this arrangement, as it should greatly increase the availability of Mimeo’s to the vintage computer hobbyist and free up time for me to work on new projects – a win for everyone. People wanting to build kits would have to take a couple of extra steps to get their kits. I think that this is a small price to pay for increased availability.

Mimeo Assembly Manuals
For hard copy assembly manuals, I’ll probably make it a separate, extra cost option, though I’m also considering using a print on demand service, so you would have to order the manual separately.

Assembled Mimeos
For those of you who want a built up Mimeo, I’m looking into building a few complete systems, with keyboard, enclosure and cassette player. Be forewarned, this sort of system will take a lot of time and money to put together. I haven’t set a price, but the number I have in mind will put it into the luxury item category.

Apple II rev 0 PCBS?
Ordering and putting together kits for Mimeo has been a huge time sink, and this change will allow me more time to work on new projects. If it works out well, I’ll also seriously consider making a new run of Apple II rev 0, reproduction motherboards. Unicorn would become the default parts supplier for that kit, as well.

Simpler Kits
For simpler kits, like the ACI, PS/2 adapter and Brainboard, I will continue to supply the complete kit, just like before.

Check out the post on his forum. I think all replica 1 owners should get a cassette interface for their units. Using an ACI is pretty essential to a faithful Apple 1 experience. Back in the the old days, it was…

Owners of original Apple 1’s or clones like my Mimeo or the Obtronix understand that without a Cassette interface, an Apple 1 Computer is nearly useless.

Cassette interface technology can be challenging. Note that Vince’s unit is most likely to incorporate several design features that I first documented either on my web site, or on Applefritter.

If you can’t wait for Vince to make an ACI board, I have authentic reproducion ACI kits in stock and ready to ship for $75. Drop me an email at mike@willegal.net