Xcalibur Advert - March 1984
From Personal Computer World
The Xcalibur portable: The Apple IIe-based system for people on the move
This is another advert for an official Apple clone from the days before Apple changed its mind and decided it wasn't going to allow such things.
Rather than a straight-up Apple II clone, like 1980's ITT 2020, The Xcalibur was modelled after machines like the Osborne 1 or Commodore SX64 - as in it was supposedly portable, even though it weighed 27lbs (just over 12kg) and required a power supply, and had a mostly-useless 5" screen.
It also complied with rules of the day which stated that adverts for luggable computers absolutely had to include someone in a suit pretending that it didn't weigh a ton.
The Xcalibur was based on the Apple IIe - the version Apple had to release to extend the Apple II line after the relative failure of the Apple III. There's no price quoted on the advert, so it's probably a case of "if you have to ask how much, you can't afford it".
Date created: 12 October 2014
Last updated: 12 October 2024
Text and otherwise-uncredited photos © nosher.net 2024. Dollar/GBP conversions, where used, assume $1.50 to £1. "Now" prices are calculated dynamically using average RPI per year.