Apple Lisa

The Lisa was not Apple’s first attempt at a business computer; that was the Apple III. Apple had started development of the Lisa at the same time as the Apple III, but it did not reach the market until 1983. The Lisa was a radically different (and more expensive) computer.

Apple Lisa
Source: Apple, 1983

Officially, Apple claimed that “Lisa” is an acronym that stands for Local Integrated Software Architecture. Legend has it, though, that the computer was named after either Steve Jobs’s daughter or the daughter of one of the engineers, but the true inspiration for the name has never been confirmed. Andy Hertzfeld, one of the creators of the Macintosh, says in his book, “Revolution in the Valley,” that the acronym explanation may have been invented after the fact in response to press queries about the name’s origin.

The original Lisa, referred to as the Lisa 1 by collectors, was technologically innovative, but a commercial failure for Apple. It popularized the concept of the GUI (graphical user interface) and could perform pre-emptive multitasking, meaning it could run multiple programs at once. However, it was overpriced and lacked adequate software and hardware support. Apple was able to make lemonade out of lemons by using lessons learned from the Lisa development on the Macintosh, one of the most successful microcomputers ever made.

Introduced: January 1983
Original Retail Price: $9,995
Base Configuration: 68000 CPU, three slots, 1MB RAM, two 5.25-inch floppy disk drives (“Twiggy” drives), integral 12-inch monochrome monitor, keyboard/keypad, mouse, two serial and one parallel port, application suite
Video: 40-line x 132-column text, 720 x 364 graphics
Important Options: CP/M or Xenix, external 5MB ProFile hard disk drive, dot-matrix or daisy-wheel printer

Brand new, but from 1982: Basis 108 Apple clone

New-in-box (NIB) vintage computers are not that rare. Unused models of popular brands like Commodore, Atari, Apple, Radio Shack, or the IBM PC occasionally pop up. Finding an obscure system like the Basis 108 that’s never been used is almost unheard of.

The Basis 108 below came my way from a former Kaypro dealer who purchased it new and never used it. It’s a base model with no disk drives or add-on boards, but has complete documentation including the original Utility and Booter disks.

Basis 108 with cover plates over the drive bays

A visual inspection confirms that this computer was never used. The plastic pads on the bottom of the case show no wear, and the case and keyboard are pristine. The motherboard is free from dust and corrosion as the unit has been boxed for decades. It has a low serial number, too: 426 out of a total 25,000 production run.

Basis 108 keyboard

Basis 108 motherboard

What is the Basis 108?

The Basis 108 is a high-quality Apple II clone produced by a German Apple dealer who thought he could build a better system. It is a much larger unit than the Apple II with a heavy metal case that measures 19.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches high by 19 inches deep. The biggest difference from the Apple II is its Z80 coprocessor, which allows the Basis 108 to run CP/M software. The keyboard is big, metal, and heavy with two keypads–one with directional keys and the other numerical.

The optional monitor has a great retro look where the CRT is mounted in a U-shaped yoke. Here’s a PDF of the system specs with a photo of the complete unit.

Basis 108 specsDownload

The NIB dilemma: Use or preserve?

I’m very happy to have this computer, but it does create a dilemma for me. I originally thought this would be a good system to play with. I’m mainly a TRS-80 guy, but always liked the Apple II line. This, I thought, would give me an opportunity to learn more about the Apple II with some cross-over to the Z80 world.

Once the Basis 108 arrived, I started having second thoughts. To use it, I’d have to install disk drives and maybe some new add-on boards and then go through the careful process of powering up after a long time in storage. By the time I finish, it would be a used computer.

I asked Tom Owad at Applefritter for his opinion. He suggested documenting it before I played with it, but then put it back in the box. I looked to my other hobby interest, vintage cars, for ideas. The car hobby has what it calls a “preservation class” for vintage cars that are completely original and unrestored. However, preservation class cars are still used cars. “New” vintage cars exist, but they are extremely rare. No help there.

I’m leaning toward documenting, researching, and preserving the Basis 108 as is. The chance of damaging it with a clumsy move or mistake when installing new hardware is just too great. I am open to suggestions. What would you do?