Codename: Sara
OS: SOS (Sophisticated Operating System)
Introduced: May 19, 1980
Discontinued: April 24, 1984

s/n A3S2-128625

monitor ///
s/n YIE007863

 
Last November, I spotted this Apple /// on eBay. The seller resided in Salinas, and after a few e-mails were exchanged, I learned that she was the second owner. Maybe not museum quality, but I will give it a 9 out of 10. I still have not torn it apart, it came stripped (no cards), but as soon as I find the time, I will start picking up a few odds and ends (a profile card comes to mind). I see no MOD thoughts, the dimensions of the case are very tight, heck I am amazed they were able to cram the components in the area they were given. Perhaps an Apple II card, stripped and tweaked as a turbo exhaust fan?

The Specs:

The Apple /// ran a Synertek 6502A processor running a new operating system named Apple SOS at 2 MHz. It had a maximum of 128k (256 kB revised) of RAM. It was the first Apple to have a built-in floppy drive, a Shugart 143k 5.25" disk drive. It came with 2 serial ports, and had 4 internal expansion slots that is compatible with Apple II cards.

The keyboard is a work of art. 73 keys (not to big and not to small) arranged in a standard QWERTY layout. All ASCII characters are accessible, and includes Escape, Tab, Control, Open and Solid Apple keys, and Arrow keys. There is also a Numeric Keypad.

There is one big problem with these computers, very little ventilation and no cooling fans. It seems that the motherboard chips would loosen in their sockets due to excess heat and unseat. I read that Apple technical support personnel told owners to drop the computer 2 to 3 inches onto the desk to reseat the chips. Hmmmm... So it appears that Apple ended up replacing every single motherboard (with a revised mobo?) under warranty. I am not sure if this is a repaired/revised Apple /// or a second generation revised. The sticker on the bottom of the case, shows a 128/256 option.

For complete tech specs, software, etc... visit Washington Apple Pi Apple III Resources.