Franklin ACE 1000 (1982)
âThe Franklin ACE 1000 was an early Apple II Plus clone introduced in 1982 by Franklin Computer Corporation. Designed to offer a more affordable alternative to Apple's offerings, it closely mirrored the Apple II Plus in both hardware and software, including direct copies of Apple's ROMs and operating system. This compatibility allowed the ACE 1000 to run most Apple II software and utilize similar expansion cards.â
Key Features:
Processor: MOS Technology 6502 at 1.0 MHz
Memory: 64 KB RAM
Display: Monochrome output by default; optional color support via an add-on chip
Keyboard: Full upper/lowercase support with auto-repeat functionality
Expansion: 8 internal slots for peripheral cards
Storage: External 143K 5.25" floppy disk drive available
Operating System: Shipped with Franklin DOS, a modified version of Apple DOS 3.3â
Despite its technical merits, the ACE 1000 became the center of a landmark legal case when Apple sued Franklin for copyright infringement. The case, Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp., resulted in a ruling that affirmed the copyrightability of software stored in ROM, setting a significant legal precedent in the software industry.â
While the ACE 1000 offered features like a numeric keypad and lowercase text supportâenhancements over the original Apple II Plusâit was bulkier and heavier. Today, the Franklin ACE 1000 is considered a collector's item, valued for its role in early personal computing history and the legal battles that shaped software copyright law.
On a side note, the Franklin Ace 1000 made several appearances in popular films. It was seen in the Ghostbustersâ lab in the original 1984 Ghostbusters. You can also see a poster for an ACE 1000 in the background of 1984âs Triumph of the Nerds.
more info: https://computeradsfromthepast.substack.com/p/franklins-ace-1000
https://oldcomputers.net/ace1000.html














