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How uncommon is a Franklin ACE 500?

AlsoYes

AlsoYes

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Joined
Mar 1, 2022
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New Jersey
I'm going to pick up a few pieces of equipment from a FB Marketplace listing tomorrow morning. One of the items is a Franklin ACE 500, which is more or less a clone of the IIc, but with more standard RAM and a numeric keypad. It's case and keyboard are done in shades of black and gray which kind of reminds me of some of the Euro and Japanese market MSX machines. I really like it.
I did a search on the entire VCF forum and I found maybe ten mentions of it since 2005. Is it really so unusual?
I can't wait to pick it up!
 
I have one, and mine is indeed in nice shape, and in the original box. I can’t speak to how common they are, or how many were sold, unfortunately.

- Alex
 
I see a couple listed on Ebay for $700. They are both in really nice condition. One appears to be missing the very upper most, left side button (not sure what it is as I don't know what it is and all the pictures I looked at aren't good enough for me to tell what it is). The other is in excellent condition and includes box, manuals, disk(s). Both include the power supply. Nice looking system.
 
Let me make it clear, I'm not asking because I want to know what I can "flip," it for. Rarity just makes it more interesting.

Might anybody know if it can make use of IIc-intended expansions, like a ZIP chip or RAM expansion?
 
Congrats! Can't speak to rarity but I have an affinity for Apple II / Clones, my Laser128 is a cherished machine for sure.
 
AlsoYes said:
Let me make it clear, I'm not asking because I want to know what I can "flip," it for. Rarity just makes it more interesting.

Might anybody know if it can make use of IIc-intended expansions, like a ZIP chip or RAM expansion?
Click to expand...
zipchip - probably. ram expansion - no. Ace500 should already have ram expansion built-in (unpopulated on the logic board).
 
oldpcguy said:
I see a couple listed on Ebay for $700. They are both in really nice condition. One appears to be missing the very upper most, left side button (not sure what it is as I don't know what it is and all the pictures I looked at aren't good enough for me to tell what it is). The other is in excellent condition and includes box, manuals, disk(s). Both include the power supply. Nice looking system.
Click to expand...
... and they've been listed for at least a year at that price. I don't see them moving at that price.
 
dorkbert said:
... and they've been listed for at least a year at that price. I don't see them moving at that price.
Click to expand...
I made no comment as to whether these are a good price or not nor was the implication the OP should flip his. It was meant to say there were two for sale on Ebay and I listed the price so the OP had a reference point.
 
sorry, it was not my intention to insinuate that you agree with the valuation. I just wanted to point out that based on the length of time they've remained unsold, the asking price is probably excessive.
 
I've owned multiple Ace 1000s, passed on several 1000s that were overpriced, I've SEEN 1200s in person, but I honestly didn't even know the 500 existed until right now...if that's any indication of rarity.
 
I had two Ace 500s awhile back from another member on the forum to look at, they were in dreadful shape. Both had crushed keyboards with perished keys, and both were missing the power supply. They ended up getting recycled because fixing a single keyboard alone was going to cost more than both entire machines were worth.

If you do manage to find one of these machines, make sure that it comes with the power supply, either internal or external. They require multiple voltages, IIRC it was +5, +12 and -5 or 12, can't remember as it was awhile back. You'll also want to make sure the keyboard works, because the key switches used have long since been discontinued. The last time I checked, they were going for multiple dollars a piece used on Ebay, which is the only place I could find them at the time. Both keyboards in the units I had needed tons of keys, so it was going to be hundreds of dollars in just key switches.

And I don't know if it was just where the machines I had were stored, but the plastics were similar to mid 90s Apple plastics, it turns to dust when you touch it, at least the beige parts. The colored plastic was fine as far as I could tell.
 
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