The Apple II series of computers were very popular - so popular in fact,
that other computer companies released "clone" computers based on the Apple design.
The Franklin Ace 100 is one such clone of the original Apple II computer.
Actually, Franklin "cheated" in making their system Apple-compatible. The Ace 100 and
1000 are almost exact copies of the Apple II - they literally copied
the Apple hardware and software, stamped their name on it, and sold it as their own.
At the time, there was no legal precedent to prevent them from doing this, but almost immediately,
in May 1982, Franklin was sued by Apple Computers for trademark violations.
In August of 1983, Apple Computer won a judgment against Franklin Computer as ruled by a U.S. federal
appeals court judge. Franklin settled with Apple in 1984, and eventually developed their own legal
BIOS.
In 1986, Franklin released two more legal Apple clones -
the Franklin Ace 2000 and 500,
but they were not very popular and Franklin left the computer business entirely.
Seen below are the motherboards of the Franklin Ace 100 and Apple II computers. Notice any resemblance?
Except for a difference in size, you can see that the Ace is practically a duplicate of the Apple.
Franklin Ace 100
Apple II
Franklin Ace 100
Apple II
While the Franklin has much in common with the Apple II, there are important differences. Some are improvements,
others perhaps an attempt to avoid a legal confrontation with Apple Computers:
The Apple II series of computers were very popular - so popular in fact,
that other computer companies released "clone" computers based on the Apple design.
