Spartan Emulator for C64?

Lee Thompson

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Dec 2, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/2/95

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>Can anyone provide details on the Spartan Apple ][ Emulator for the
>Commodore 64? I believe it was released by Mimic, and was a
>hardware/software package.

Not very many were made, due to R&D costs (they couldn't make any money on
it). Also at the time that it was finally completed, the price of the Apple
][ was lowered. Like the C65, it's vaporware except for a few units.

Lee Thompson sha...@nwlink.com
"It was the dawn of the third age of IRC: LeeThomps
mankind... the year the great war came C64 Archive Project
upon us all." - Babylon 5 (Season 2) Seattle Lab Inc

Alex Maddison

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Dec 2, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/2/95

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Hi all,

Can anyone provide details on the Spartan Apple ][ Emulator for the
Commodore 64? I believe it was released by Mimic, and was a
hardware/software package.

Alex.

--

Alex Maddison Address: PO Box 6399
IRC : Lothos North Sydney Shoppingworld
Email: amad...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU NSW. 2060
Phone: (019) 992-610 Australia
--

"The man that would not bend, simply broke. Shattered and alone, he chose
a number and christened himself Number One."
- Number Two (The Prisoner, Book B)

ppug...@pimacc.pima.edu

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Dec 3, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/3/95

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In article <49oqdq$f...@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU>, amad...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Alex Maddison) writes:
> Hi all,
>
> Can anyone provide details on the Spartan Apple ][ Emulator for the
> Commodore 64? I believe it was released by Mimic, and was a
> hardware/software package.
>
> Alex.
>
> --
>
> Alex Maddison Address: PO Box 6399

I actually owned one! I was lucky enough to be able to return mine
before the company went broke. It was a hardware add-on to the C64
that turned it into an Apple ][+ clone. It also allowed a 1541 to
be used as an Apple FDD, although this was not recommended. Anyway,
I used it for a month & was constantly on the phone for tech support
until I got tired of all the bugs & called it quits. It was demoed
at my LUG meeting in early July 1986 which is when I ordered it.
It was about $249.00US, I believe. It's biggest flaw was that it's
version of BASIC was not fully compatible with Applesoft BASIC while
most of the stuff on the market at that time that would run on a ][+
was still in BASIC.

Phil

ppug...@pimacc.pima.edu

Paul Allen Panks

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Dec 3, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/3/95

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Here is what I know about the Spartan Emulator:

1) They started advertising in mid-1985 in the various Commodore
Vic-20/64 specific magagizes. The so-called "distributor" of this product
was Mimic Systems, Inc.

2) The article stated a number of falsehoods, among them: That the Apple
][ emulator could run $1000 worth of software, right off the shelf.

3) The pricetag on such a system was approx. $595.

4) The *REAL* system capabilities of the Spartan include: 1) Could
transfer BASIC and/or text ASCII files between an Apple ][ and a
Commodore 64. But the conversion was left up to the purchaser of the
Emulator. 2) Color scheme of Spartan Emulator matched nicely with the
current (at the time, anyway) gray Commodore 64 console.

Just my .02.
E-mail: p...@dana.ucc.nau.edu
Paul Allen Panks

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"If you quote me on this, I'll have to deny it. Besides, my memory is
*terrrible*. I forget things often. Also, my memory is *horrible*."
E-mail: p...@dana.ucc.nau.edu. Paul Allen Panks.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Joel Kolstad

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Dec 4, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/4/95

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Paul Allen Panks (p...@dana.ucc.nau.edu) wrote:

: Here is what I know about the Spartan Emulator:

: 1) They started advertising in mid-1985 in the various Commodore
: Vic-20/64 specific magagizes. The so-called "distributor" of this product
: was Mimic Systems, Inc.

: 2) The article stated a number of falsehoods, among them: That the Apple
: ][ emulator could run $1000 worth of software, right off the shelf.

: 3) The pricetag on such a system was approx. $595.

: 4) The *REAL* system capabilities of the Spartan include: 1) Could
: transfer BASIC and/or text ASCII files between an Apple ][ and a
: Commodore 64. But the conversion was left up to the purchaser of the
: Emulator. 2) Color scheme of Spartan Emulator matched nicely with the
: current (at the time, anyway) gray Commodore 64 console.

So does anyone know who (what individuals) designed this dog that
apparently wouldn't hunt? It certainly seems technically feasible to put
an Apple II in a box (own RAM, own processor -- everything), use the C-64
pretty much as a keyboard and, with some utilities, a file transfer
device, and sell it for $595.

Perhaps they could never get their own version of the Apple ROMs working
very well, and Apple didn't want to sell them the Real McCoy?

I occasionally wonder whatever happened to the people who designed things
like the Batteries Included 80 column card, the Final Cartridge III, the
various C-64 EPROM programs, Schnedler Systems, etc.

ObTrivia: Videx systems, based here in Corvallis, OR started life making
80 column boards for Apple IIs. These days they do quite well selling
barcode-based data collection devices.

---Joel Kolstad

Janos Horvath

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Dec 5, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/5/95

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Of course, NOWADAYS, if you were really inclined to spend $595 for the
use of Apple II software, you could get a heck of a second-hand Apple
IIe/+/c setup and even a separate desk! ;-) ;-)

Yolk's on you, Mimic!

Doug Cotton

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Dec 5, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/5/95

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kols...@PEAK.ORG (Joel Kolstad) wrote:

> So does anyone know who (what individuals) designed this dog that
> apparently wouldn't hunt? It certainly seems technically feasible to put
> an Apple II in a box (own RAM, own processor -- everything), use the C-64
> pretty much as a keyboard and, with some utilities, a file transfer
> device, and sell it for $595.

At least one of the people involved in the Spartan project now works for
the company in the US that sells the C64S emulator.

> Perhaps they could never get their own version of the Apple ROMs working
> very well, and Apple didn't want to sell them the Real McCoy?

Little known fact: Franklin (you know, the folks that make all those
little electronic dictionaries and such) has a license to use the Apple II
ROM code. Franklin uses the 6502 (CMOS versions mostly) in many of their
designs, and is also the new home of ex-Commodore engineer Fred Bowen.
Fred tells me they have quite an extensive library of functions written in
6502, which are mixed and matched to create the various products they
make.

Doug Cotton
E-mail: doug....@the-spa.com

Robert J. Gonzalez

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Dec 13, 1995, 3:00:00 AM12/13/95

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Joel Kolstad (kols...@PEAK.ORG) wrote:

: Paul Allen Panks (p...@dana.ucc.nau.edu) wrote:

: : Here is what I know about the Spartan Emulator:

: : 1) They started advertising in mid-1985 in the various Commodore
: : Vic-20/64 specific magagizes. The so-called "distributor" of this product
: : was Mimic Systems, Inc.

: : 2) The article stated a number of falsehoods, among them: That the Apple
: : ][ emulator could run $1000 worth of software, right off the shelf.

: : 3) The pricetag on such a system was approx. $595.

: : 4) The *REAL* system capabilities of the Spartan include: 1) Could
: : transfer BASIC and/or text ASCII files between an Apple ][ and a
: : Commodore 64. But the conversion was left up to the purchaser of the
: : Emulator. 2) Color scheme of Spartan Emulator matched nicely with the
: : current (at the time, anyway) gray Commodore 64 console.

: So does anyone know who (what individuals) designed this dog that

: apparently wouldn't hunt? It certainly seems technically feasible to put
: an Apple II in a box (own RAM, own processor -- everything), use the C-64
: pretty much as a keyboard and, with some utilities, a file transfer
: device, and sell it for $595.

: Perhaps they could never get their own version of the Apple ROMs working

: very well, and Apple didn't want to sell them the Real McCoy?

: I occasionally wonder whatever happened to the people who designed things

: like the Batteries Included 80 column card, the Final Cartridge III, the
: various C-64 EPROM programs, Schnedler Systems, etc.

: ObTrivia: Videx systems, based here in Corvallis, OR started life making
: 80 column boards for Apple IIs. These days they do quite well selling
: barcode-based data collection devices.

: ---Joel Kolstad

Compute!'s Gazette did a review on it and they said it worked, but for
the price, you could just buy an APPLE.