--- title: Franklin ACE 1200 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1983' cpus: - '6502' params: name: ACE 1200 company: /companies/franklin company_name: Franklin specs: - label: NAME value: ACE 1200 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Franklin - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Full Stroke 71 keys - label: CPU value: '6502' - label: SPEED value: 1.022 mHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: None - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 x 24 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 40 x 48 / 208 x 160 / 280 x 192 - label: COLORS value: monochrome - label: SOUND value: 1 voice - built-in speaker - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 46 (W) x 50 (D) x 20.5 (H) cm. - label: I/O PORTS value: Joystick, composite video, 8 Apple II compatible slots - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 or 2 integrated 5.25 160 KB F.D. drives - label: OS value: Apple II DOS (DOS-1) and CP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in switching power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Apple II extensions - label: PRICE value: system+monitor = $1000.00 (1984, USA) tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: WITH FRANKLIN MONITOR subtitle: '' text: The Franklin monochrome monitor was actually a rebadged Zenith model. image: null - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'CLOSE-UP #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'CLOSE-UP #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: IN USE subtitle: '' text: Boot-up screen after the Franklin DOS-1 (the same as the Apple DOS 3.1) have been loaded. image: null - title: BACK SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Main board composite video jack\ **(2)** Parallel Centronics connector\ **(3)** Power plug and switch image: null - title: MOTHERBOARD subtitle: '' text: |- Looking at the Franklin motherboard which is quite similar to the Apple II's, one can easily understand that Apple took legal action against Franklin for counterfeiting. However, Franklin only was sentenced for ROM software counterfeiting. **(1)** Expansion slots\ **(2)** 6502 processor\ **(3)** 16 KB ROM area (white rectangle)\ **(4)** 64 KB RAM area\ **(5)** The character generator chip was replaced by an expanded C.G. board\ **(6)** Reset switch image: null - title: CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: EXPANSION CARDS subtitle: '' text: |- These expansion cards were delivered into the Franklin 1200 basic version: **(1)** Parallel and serial I/O card\ **(2)** Graphic video card\ **(3)** Z80 card with 64 KB additional RAM, as well as a CP/M Operating System disk\ **(4)** Dual floppy disc controller image: null - title: FLOPPY DRIVE subtitle: '' text: The ACE-1200 was fitted with two 5.25" floppy drives made by Shuggart. This drive was a pure copy a the Apple Disc II drive. Same spiral whell **(1)** was used for head movement. image: null - title: MANUALS subtitle: '' text: |- Set of software and manuals delivered with the computer. From left to right:\ \- ACE Welcome Package, Office Management System\ \- ACE Calc, Spreadsheet\ \- ACE User Reference Manual\ \- Wordstar, word processor image: null adverts: - title: U.S. AD (1983) subtitle: '' text: '' image: null comments: - author: Aaron (USA) date: Monday 8th July 2019 text: I have a Franklin 1200 and it can put out color its not a monochrome system (the 1000 might have been) although the monitor that came with it is. It however has no graphical capability of its own. - author: Randy Fisher (USA) date: Wednesday 26th September 2007 text: |- i owned the franklin 1200 plus computer back in the day 1984 I paid $1000.00 for the computer part and the monitor and it came with software.. The computer was built like a tank. But, I remember it i as very hard to find a modem for the computer since. mine did not have a serial card at the time. I mostly used apple 2 software on my computer.. oc_id: 646 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230331011924/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=646 date: '2023-03-31' --- Like the [ACE 1000](/museum/franklin-ace-1000/) from wich it kept all its features, the Franklin ACE 1200 was completely compatible with the [Apple II+](/museum/apple-ii-571/). It was equipped from factory line with a Z80 board, a floppy disk controller board, a 80 columns board and a serial / parallel board that gave it the ability to also run all the software for the CP/M operating system. The box lid plugged the two floppy drives and the keyboard had typematic and lower case ability. The serial / parallel board experienced some compatibility flaws as printers connected to them weren't automaticaly recognized by Apple II management software. Franklin machines ran FDOS - Franklin DOS, which was compatible with DOS 3 from Apple, but had a lot of cool features such as built-in RAM disk, disk caching, loadable device drivers, shortened commands, support for hard drives, etc. In september 1983, Franklin lost a trial against Apple for counterfeiting ROM software from the Apple II and II+. Moreover the Apple IIe, launched a few time later with 2 special keys allowed to distinguish between true Apple and compatible machines. However, Franklin still produced Apple II and PC compatible computers ([ACE-500](/museum/franklin-ace-500/), [ACE-2000](/museum/franklin-ace-2000/)) for about two years before devoting them to pocket translators.
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