Apparat, Inc.

Apparat, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Software development, computer hardware, retail
Founded	1978
Founder	Jim Lauletta, Clifford Ide
Defunct	1988
Headquarters	Denver , United States
Area served	United States
Products	NewDos/80 operating system, Apex operating system, IBM PC peripherals and compatible systems
Number of employees	45 (1984)

Apparat, Inc. was a U.S.-based company engaged in software development, peripheral manufacturing, mail-order sales, and retail, active from 1978 until 1988 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company gained recognition mainly for NewDos/80, an alternative operating system designed for the Tandy Corporation's TRS-80 home computer series as a competitor to TRSDOS. Apparat distributed this software through Radio Shack retail outlets and also sold customized TRS-80 units via mail order. In 1982, the firm redirected its efforts toward producing peripherals for the IBM Personal Computer, sustaining this focus until it closed down in 1988.

Establishment (1978–1980)

Apparat was established in 1978 by entrepreneurs Jim Lauletta and Clifford Ide in Denver. Initially, the company operated as a mail-order reseller specializing in peripherals and disk drives tailored for Tandy’s TRS-80 computers—items generally available only through Tandy’s Radio Shack stores. Lauletta was also instrumental in founding the Denver 6502 Group, an early computer club centered on MOS Technology CPUs. Over time, Apparat transitioned into a value-added reseller offering complete TRS-80 systems upgraded with enhanced Tandon floppy disk drives and expanded memory.

During its inaugural year, Apparat created an alternative disk operating system for the TRS-80 platform. Following two years of beta testing, NewDos/80 was officially introduced in 1980; the name was suggested by Dick Miller, who managed the company’s East Coast distribution. This product became a cornerstone of Apparat’s commercial strategy and significantly influenced the early microcomputer market.

NewDos/80 Launch (1980)

Developed by Ide, NewDos/80 represented the first third-party OS available for the TRS-80, offering an alternative to the native TRSDOS. Initial releases functioned as patches that required a legitimate TRSDOS license; however, subsequent versions were completely rewritten from the ground up. NewDos/80 rapidly gained traction among TRS-80 users by enhancing the microcomputer’s utility for both business and personal applications. InfoWorld recognized it as a superior operating system and deemed it indispensable for TRS-80 owners.

The Tandy Corporation opposed NewDos/80, alleging copyright violations and issuing cease-and-desist notices to Apparat. Legal proceedings were postponed due to ongoing disputes between Tandy and Randy Cook—the original author of TRSDOS—over ownership rights. In response, Apparat filed a lawsuit demanding that Tandy address numerous bugs within TRSDOS, a tactic Cook described as extortionate. The dispute concluded when Apparat fully rewrote NewDos/80 independently in 1981, thereby resolving the conflict.

Expansion Beyond NewDos, IBM PC Product Line, and Closure (1980–1988)

Toward the end of 1980, Apparat began marketing Apex, an operating system created by founder Peter Boyle for Apple II and other personal computers based on the 6502 processor. Apex drew inspiration from DEC operating systems such as Top-10 and bore similarities to CP/M. It was programmed in XPL0—a block-structured language also developed by Boyle.

By 1983, Apparat had grown to employ 35 individuals, increasing its workforce by an additional 10 employees in 1984. At the end of 1982, the company redirected its focus toward vending IBM Personal Computers and compatible machines, distributing complete systems and peripherals through mail-order catalogs. In 1983, Apparat launched its own hard disk drive tailored for IBM PCs; this product received favorable reviews within the industry and appeared on the cover of PC Magazine in 1984. Other significant peripherals included the Clock/Calendar Board (a real-time clock expansion), Combo Card (a multifunction expansion with serial and parallel ports), CGA monitors, RAM upgrades, and floppy disk drives.

In addition to hardware and software offerings, Apparat expanded its retail footprint with stores located in Denver and a branch near Chicago in Arlington Heights, Illinois. By 1985, proprietary IBM PC–compatible systems were sold exclusively through these retail outlets.

Apparat discontinued all operations in 1988.