A project has cloned the Apple II Plus, but instead of using emulation, it goes the harder route by rebuilding Apple’s classic computer in hardware.

If someone wants to get the experience of using Apple’s vintage products, they often turn to a software emulator. However, as one project proves, it’s possible to get the same effect by focusing on the hardware side.

Posted on Sunday by Simon Boak, the SB Mini II is referred to as a “Homebrew Apple II Clone.” It is a rebuild of the Apple II Plus from a hardware standpoint, but using modern components.

Boak saw that most of the basic logic chips are still available to consumers, including the 6502 CPU. That, combined with circuit diagrams in the original manual and a library of books on the topic, helped Boak come up with a gameplan and a shopping list of parts.

A modern(ized) marvel

The clone does use modernized alternatives compared to the original design, mostly due to advancements in technology.

A key one is the replacement of the dynamic RAM (DRAM) used in the original Apple II. While the original kept to DRAM to save on cost, Static RAM or SRAM is also cheap enough for the project.

As a result, one and a half 32K SRAM chips are used to get the required 48k the Apple II Plus needs. The change also means there was no need to use circuitry to refresh the DRAM, which allowed the memory to function.

Boak remarks that a lot of the original circuit generated a composite video signal. Instead, using an Apple II VGA card, he was able to get a sharper video output, as well as removing the video generation logic from the circuitry.

In effect, it is a “headless” clone if it is used without the VGA card.

This also helped simplify the clock and timing signals as well. In this project, Boak uses a 4.096 MHz crystal oscillator, divided down to 1.024MHz, which is close to the 1.023MHZ of the original machine.

A Raspberry Pi Pico, which in itself is more powerful than the Apple II Plus, is used as a way to connect a USB keyboard to the Apple II. The Pico does generate the same parallel data signals as the original keyboard, as well as eliminating the need to use voltage level shifters.

Smart case

The project was finished off by being placed in a specially created case, which was 3D printed in parts before being glued and painted together. Those part files have since been released via GitHub.

It’s based on the design of the Apple ProFile hard drive. However, there are extra vents and a rear panel added so that connections could be accessed.

Just as the original was designed for easy access to the internals, the enclosure’s lid clips shut, so it can be opened without tools.

To go with the clone, Boak has also designed a matching Studio II LCD monitor.

This is far from Boak’s first attempt at making clones of Apple products. In June 2024, he created an Apple 1 clone with a printer, which used an SD card for storage.

The Apple II Plus recreation is certainly impressive, since it’s a hardware recreation instead of just using an emulator. But sometimes, even those efforts can be just as astounding.

In 2024, a Hackintosh project aimed to recreate the original Macintosh Plus, using modern components internally. However, the effort used 3D printing to produce a highly-accurate full-scale recreation of Apple’s hardware.