website/content/museum/franklin-ace-1000.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Franklin ACE 1000	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1982	6502	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts comments oc_id source ACE 1000 /companies/franklin Franklin label value NAME ACE 1000 label value MANUFACTURER Franklin label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1982 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Applesoft BASIC label value KEYBOARD Typewriter type - 71 keys with numeric keypad label value CPU 6502 label value SPEED 1.022 mHz label value RAM 64 KB label value ROM 12 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES 40 x 48 / 208 x 160 / 280 x 192 label value COLORS monochrome label value SOUND 1 voice - Built-n speaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT 45 (W) x 49.8 (D) x 11 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Joystick, 8 Apple II compatible slots label value BUILT IN MEDIA None label value OS Apple DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in switching PSU with cooling fan label value PERIPHERALS All the Apple II cards and peripherals label value PRICE $1,100 photos adverts title subtitle text image ACE 1000 null title subtitle text image RUNNING SYSTEM ACE 1000 running one of the first Apple pinball version. null title subtitle text image TOP VIEW null title subtitle text image LEFT & RIGHT SIDES null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP The keyboard, made by Key Tronic, is of same quality as the Apple II's. null title subtitle text image OPENED An obvious family likeness with the original Apple II. null title subtitle text image REAR SIDE The basic system only offers no I/O connectors except a composite video jack. null title subtitle text image MAINBOARD Quite the same picture as the ACE 1200 mainboard's as the basis hardware of both machine is basically the same. For more technical information, see the ACE 1200 mainboard. null title subtitle text image PROCESSOR CLOSE-UP 6502 microprocessor and 12 KB EPROM bank. null title subtitle text image ACE 10 FD UNIT A pure copy of the Apple Disk II null title subtitle text image ACE-1000 BOX Notice the "with color" sticker, which indicates that a color add-on is included into the bundle, as the "original" ACE-1000 doesn't support color. null title subtitle text image ACE 100 ADVERT (1982) null title subtitle text image ACE 1000 ADVERT (1982) null title subtitle text image ACE 1000 ADVERT(1982) #2 null title subtitle text image APPLE TEMPTATION... Franklin dealer advert (1983) null author date text M Mittge (Chehalis, Washington) Wednesday 12th October 2011 My first computer. It got me through law school, 1984-1987. I digested and summarized my notes from classes on it each night, and ended up with about a 50 page synopsis of each class to study for finals. For final in Constitutional Law, prof assigned a paper on the morning of the final, and paper had to be done and delivered to him by 8 AM the next morning. I composed mine at the keyboard, and was done and in bed by 10. Roommate wrote his out, and he and his girlfriend started typing it at about 9 PM. Neither were very good typists. They finally got done about 3. He and I were both sold on those new-fangled computers at that point. The 80 column card was what made it so great. Apple, at that time, only showed 40 columns on the monitor, so 2 columns on the monitor equaled one column on paper- very confusing, especially for formatting titles, etc. Franklin actually showed only 70 columns (the other 10 were the margins on both sides). They did it by showing letters in graphics- very strange looking little letters, but once you got used to it, they were fine. What you saw was what you got on paper. author date text Jeff Ferrel (Carson City, NV USA) Thursday 13rd January 2011 I think the name of the ''Z'' game you are thinking of was Zork.. they had a Zork I, II, and III. Franklin Ace 1000''s also came standard with an 80 column card... author date text Jeremy (Indiana) Monday 15th October 2007 This was the first computer that my parents ever bought. My grandfather got my dad the hookup on it. My grandfather also did some soldering magic and also hookedup a hard drive and added a speech card as well. My friend and I would call McDonald's and prank them with the Stephen Hawking-type voice that it made. I sure miss Miner 2049r. There was another game that began with a Z as well. I don't remember what it was called but it was fun. Oh Yeah, I remember hitting that orange reset button under the front side with my toe a couple times as well (I'd tip the seat back and put my foot up on the edge of the desk). Nothing like having to recreate a 5 page report when you don't know how to type :\ Other than that though it was a great computer! author date text R Granback (San Diego, CA) Friday 12th October 2007 I had one and the dealer misrepresented it as color ready when I had to buy the chip separately. I never had any compatibility issues which is understandable as its bios was copied directly from the Apple (bios disassembly revealed Apple Computer still present within the code). Although larger than the Apple ][ it had a handy rock solid case that served as a monitor stand. Its slots were completely apple compatible and I added an apple language card which which provided additional ram for use with MS Basic. Unfortunately mine died when a rented duplex formed a roof leak directly above where the computer sat causing the mainboard and hardware to rust. 56 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230419013929/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=56 2023-04-19

The Franklin ACE 1000 was launched in 1983. It was the successor of the ACE 100, released in 1981. The ACE 1000 had 48 KB RAM and allowed for a 16 KB Language card. It also supported lower-case letters, had a numeric keypad, and a larger case.

From the factory, the Ace-1000 did not support colours but there was a colour chip that could be added by the dealer for $50 (this dealer add-on was an attempt to protect themselves legally against lawsuits from Apple).

It was fully compatible with the Apple II and could use the same programs and cards. Unlike the Apple II, the Franklin didn't have tape recorder In/Out jacks but its power supply had an integrated cooling fan.

The makers of this computer would be sued in 1984 for violation of certain Apple trademarks, namely, the operating system. Apple would win the lawsuit, and Franklin would be forced out of the computer business.

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Matt Beechey recalls :
The most annoying thing about the design of this computer was it had a reset button under the front edge - I used to always lift my legs up onto the rest of the chair and hit the reset button with my knee after hours of unsaved typing!