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There's probably a business in making retro computers as DIY kits. Sure, some company would have to re-manufacture the parts that couldn't be made at home and with small runs the parts wouldn't be cheap, but there is a hobbyist market out there.

Yup.

There are often limits on authenticity, either due to parts availability (e.g. TTL ICs), or for convenience (modern monitors, keyboards).

...laura

iPad Mini is using a new revolutionary engine based on the Replica 1. :-)

Not a real machine but Briel Computers sell (kit or assembled) a "mini replica" of the Altair 8800. The i8080 CPU is emulated with an ATmega but you get the front with LEDs and switches. With a add-on card it can even run CP/M. :)
He also sells the Replica 1 (Apple 1 clone) and Micro-KIM (MOS KIM-1 clone). They, however, use true 6502 processors.
http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/

There are a few replicas available for those of us who can't afford a real Apple 1. The least expensive is Briel Computers' "Replica 1" which is not a cosmetic replica but more of a "work-alike" computer. Applefritter.com's Tom Owad wrote a book based on that kit. On the other extreme is Mike Willegal's "Mimeo 1" which is an extremely accurate reproduction. I know the people behind these kits/sites and they're all very hobby-centric.

Yeah. Mike Willeagal (creator of the Mimeo-1, and owner of the Apple 1 Registry site) even went to the trouble of creating a custom font for the silkscreen layer. I asked him if he X-Rayed the original board, and he said "No", and that he simply took a LOT of high-detail photos, and then went back and forth, printing out his board and laying it on a light table with the original.

I don't know much about the Replica 1; but it isn't a cold-copy of the original, like Mike's is. It's so close that I asked him if anyone has tried to auction one of his off AS an original. He said he deliberately put a marking on his board to prevent that from happening...

And yes, as an owner of an Apple 1 myself, it IS that close.

Not that hard it seems...

http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=17

There are a few replicas available for those of us who can't afford a real Apple 1. The least expensive is Briel Computers' "Replica 1" which is not a cosmetic replica but more of a "work-alike" computer. Applefritter.com's Tom Owad wrote a book based on that kit. On the other extreme is Mike Willegal's "Mimeo 1" which is an extremely accurate reproduction. I know the people behind these kits/sites and they're all very hobby-centric.

and build retro micro-computer kits, like the Replica 1 (Apple I clone, MOS Tech 6502), and Spare Time Gizmo's COSMAC Elf 2000 (RCA CDP1802 CPU). I also have an unfinished N8VEM Z80 single board computer (SBC) with an optional S-100 like backplane called ECB, and multiple expansion boards

Who needs more than 4 MHz, I can't type 50wpm anyhow; :-)

Replica I

Pfft!

I am the original owner of a REAL Apple 1, from 1976. The first computer I ever saw...

Replica I

More to the point; I have the build an Apple I book and will gladly build anyone an Apple I for $50,000! Order now and save BIG!!1!

Build one?
Resell this with insane markup instead:
http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=4

If you're interested in the Apple I from a retro-computing standpoint, instead of owning a museum piece, you can actually buy a kit and build a clone.

Well I own an Atari 2600, Nintendo 64, Amiga 500, Macintosh SE, Macintosh IICX, a 1998 iMac Bondi Blue and MacOS 9 (Can't run Mac OS X for some reason) and all have games on it that can still be played.

Recreating the tech that is used to play it actually costs more than making an emulator and then selling the ROMs, floppy disk images, CD-ROM images and the list.

On the Playstation 3 I bought my son a Sega Sonic Genesis collection (Megadrive in other parts of the world) with 40 Sega Gensis games on it. I assume it is an emulator. I think the software and video game companies that own the old video games should license emulators for those systems and sell DVDs for modern video game consoles with the emulator and 40 ROMs on the DVD disk, then do the same for Linux, *BSD, Windows XP/Vista/7, and Mac OS X as well. My son like the Sonic games and while it did not have Crue Ball it did have Sonic Spinball in it.

A list of olf video game consoles that are dead or dying off:

Atari 2600
Atari 5200
Atari 7800
Atari 400
Atari 800
Atari 1200
Atari 800XL
Atari 1200XL
Atari Jaguar
Atari ST
Atari TT
Atari Falcon
Atari Linx
Atari Linx2

Sega Master System
Sega Genesis
Sega Genesis 32X/CD
Sega Saturn
Sega Dreamcast

Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
Nintendo 64
Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo Gameboy
Nintendo Gameboy Color
Nintendo Gameboy Pocket
Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Nintendo Gamebuy Advance SP

Sony Playstation (Original replaced with smaller Playstation One system)
Sony Playstation 2

Coleco Tank Combat (B&W video games had two up and down controls to simulate driving a tank and shooting at the other player)
ColecoVision
Coleco Adam

Mattel Intellivision
Mattel Intelivision 2

Game.COM unit
Various Tiger hand held games too many to mention
Mattel Aquarius

TI 99/4A

Spectrascope

TRS-80 COCO/COCO2/COCO4
Tandy 1000 series

Amiga 1000
Amiga 500
Amiga 2000
Amiga 3000
Amiga 4000
Amiga CD32

Commodore PET
Commodore Vic-20
Commodore 64
Commodore 128
Commodore 16
Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Colt series (Commodore based MS-DOS PC machine using 80X86 chips)

Apple I
Apple II series
Apple III

Yes some are computers but they played games as well as the game consoles, so I added them.

Apparently recreating replicas of old 8 bit computers appears to be going on someone can do a different business to make replicas of the old video game consoles and see how well that works.

I believe that Briel Computers, the guys who designed the Apple 1 replica, The Replica-1 computer and other cool kits are working on something similar. The first version was a standard ATX case that was shaped like a Altair and the front panels were a controlled by a reprogrammable Microcontroller acting as an 8800 emulator. I am not quite sure of the specifics. http://www.brielcomputers.com/altairpc.html

After looking on his site, it seems they are now working on something similar to a handheld Altair called the Altair 8800 Micro. http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?p=246

I believe that Briel Computers, the guys who designed the Apple 1 replica, The Replica-1 computer and other cool kits are working on something similar. The first version was a standard ATX case that was shaped like a Altair and the front panels were a controlled by a reprogrammable Microcontroller acting as an 8800 emulator. I am not quite sure of the specifics. http://www.brielcomputers.com/altairpc.html

After looking on his site, it seems they are now working on something similar to a handheld Altair called the Altair 8800 Micro. http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?p=246

http://www.zebrasystems.com/zebrasystems/zx81/index.html

http://www.brielcomputers.com/replica1.html

There's a couple lower cost examples.

I read about this awhile go ago and thought it was relevant. For those that are still addicted to the Apple I, there is a functional replica with a few extra features. http://www.brielcomputers.com/replica1.html Just thought someone might get a kick out of it.

I totally sympathize with you. I'm always looking for stuff to build but there really isn't much complex out there. I would love a little 16 bit computer or something. Something like the replica 1 only more complicated.

Of what I've built, there is one and only one answer. The ultimate kit, the best out there, the Elecraft K2. I've built that, the KPA100 power amplifier, the KAT100 tuner, and a few little modules for it. It took me weeks to build it all. It was amazing.

Kit building is why I got into Ham Radio. The only problem is... I don't seem to care about the rest of ham radio. I haven't operated much. I keep meaning to do more to see if I like it better, but I don't seem to care enough to get around to it. I'm thinking of selling my K2 since it's just sitting around.

Other than that there are a few kits out there. A Nixie tube clock, while not too complicated, looks interesting. I ran across an all transistor clock kit the other day. It looks quite neat.

You will never be able to afford a real Apple I. However if you want to let people play with a vintage computer (and a very important one at that) without risking a real classic you can by the Replica I for about $200. It is a replica of the Apple I (since Woz still owns the rights to the apple I and not Apple he has the rights to let others make replica's and clones) but it uses more modern parts. Here is the website: http://www.brielcomputers.com/