Applied Engineering
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Carrollton, Texas , United States |
Area served | Apple II computer users, later Macintosh and Commodore Amiga markets |
| Products | Memory expansion cards, CPU accelerators, hard drives, co-processor cards, sound cards, real-time clocks, modems, and other Apple II peripherals |
Applied Engineering, headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, was a leading third-party hardware manufacturer catering to Apple II computers from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s.
History
Applied Engineering built a solid reputation within the Apple II community for delivering innovative products, high-quality components, and dependable warranty service. The company swiftly identified unmet needs in the market, creating distinctive expansion cards and peripherals that neither Apple nor rival firms provided.
During the early 1990s, as Apple Computer, Inc. redirected its attention toward the Macintosh series and curtailed support for the Apple II line, the demand for Apple II hardware diminished. Many users transitioned to platforms such as Macintosh and IBM PC-compatible systems. In response, Applied Engineering sought to capitalize on its brand by entering the Macintosh and Commodore Amiga markets; however, it encountered fierce competition and disadvantages due to late market entry. Efforts to reduce expenses—including shortened warranty periods, introduction of paid technical assistance, and use of lower-grade components—led to dissatisfaction among devoted customers. The combination of declining Apple II sales and unsuccessful diversification efforts ultimately resulted in Applied Engineering ceasing operations by 1994.
Product offerings
Among Applied Engineering’s notable hardware for the Apple II were:
- RamWorks — memory expansion card designed for the Apple IIe
- TransWarp — CPU accelerator card compatible with both the Apple IIe and Apple IIGS
- Vulcan — internal hard drive solution
- PC Transporter — a co-processor card based on the NEC V30 (Intel 8086-compatible) enabling Apple IIs to run MS-DOS applications
The TransWarp series included multiple models. The initial TransWarp replaced the original 1-MHz 6502 or 65C02 processor in the Apple IIe with a faster 3.6 MHz 65C02 chip (also switchable to 1.8 MHz), adjustable via software controls. Later iterations comprised the TransWarp II and the announced but never produced TransWarp III. For the Apple IIGS, Applied Engineering introduced the TransWarp GS, which accelerated its native 65C816 CPU.
Multi-functional expansion cards formed a core part of AE’s product lineup; for instance, the Serial Pro combined a standard RS-232 serial interface with a ProDOS-compatible real-time clock on a single card, thereby saving valuable expansion slots. This card also supported enhanced screen-dump printing capabilities for dot-matrix printers, improving graphics output on Apple II systems.
Compatible with all Apple IIs except IIc/IIc Plus
- Serial Pro — Apple II RS-232 serial interface card
- Parallel Pro — Apple II parallel (IEEE 1284) interface card
- Buffer Pro — data buffer expansion for Parallel Pro
- Vulcan — internal hard disk drive and disk controller unit
- Vulcan Gold — upgraded internal hard disk drive
- PC Transporter — co-processor card featuring a NEC V30 (Intel 8086-compatible) CPU for IBM-PC compatibility
- Super Music Synthesizer — sound card for Apple II systems
- Phasor — advanced Apple II sound card
- TimeMaster H. O. and TimeMaster II H. O. — real-time clock cards designed for Apple II computers
- A/D + D/A Card — analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion card intended for signal acquisition and industrial control applications
- I/O 32 Card — 32-bit digital input/output interface supporting TTL/CMOS logic levels
- DataLink 1200/2400 — internal telephone modems operating at 1200/2400 baud rates
- FastMath — math co-processor expansion card
- Z-80 Plus — CP/M compatibility card
Apple II/II Plus Specific
- AE 16K Card — A streamlined, chip-reduced alternative to Apple's original 16 KB Language Card
- ViewMaster 80 — An 80-column card compatible with Videx and Videoterm, featuring lowercase character support and light pen functionality
Apple IIe
- MemoryMaster — An early, chip-efficient replacement for Apple's Extended 80-Column Card, offering 80 columns and 64 KB of RAM
- MemoryMaster IIe — An upgraded 80-column card supporting between 64 KB and 256 KB of RAM
- RamWorks (RamWorks I, RamWorks Basic) — Combines 80-column display with memory expansion ranging from 256 KB up to 1 MB
- RamWorks II — Provides 80-column capability plus memory expansion exceeding 1 MB
- RamWorks III — Offers both 80-column display and memory expansion from 1 MB to 3 MB
- RamKeeper — Battery-backed support for the RamWorks series that enables persistent RAM disk storage
- RamFactor — Memory card designed for slots 1 through 7 on the //e and II+, supporting up to 1 MB of RAM
- RamFactor 4 Meg Expander — Expands the RamFactor memory capacity by an additional 4 MB, allowing a maximum of 5 MB per slot
- RamCharger — Battery backup accessory for RamFactor permitting system booting from a RAM drive
- ColorLink — Daughterboard RGB upgrade for the RamWorks series delivering analog and IBM-compatible RGB video output
- Digital Prism — Daughterboard RGB option for RamWorks series offering IBM-compatible RGB output exclusively
- TransWarp, TransWarp II — Accelerator cards designed to enhance Apple II processing speed
Apple IIc/IIc Plus
- Z-RAM, Z-RAM Ultra, Z-RAM Ultra II, Z-RAM Ultra III — Series of memory expansion cards for Apple IIc models
- RAM Express, RAM Express II — Memory expansion cards, with RAM Express being an Apple-branded IIc RAM card reissued by Applied Engineering
- Z-80c — Expansion card providing CP/M compatibility
Apple IIGS
- TransWarp GS — Accelerator card tailored for the Apple IIGS system
- GS-RAM, GS-RAM Ultra, GS-RAM Plus — Memory expansion modules offering capacities of 1.5 MB, 4 MB, and 6 MB respectively
- RamKeeper — Battery-backed RAM drive designed specifically for the Apple IIGS
- Sonic Blaster — Sound enhancement card developed for the Apple IIGS platform
- Audio Animator — Audio card featuring an external mixer and MIDI input/output capabilities for the Apple IIGS
- Conserver — Multifunctional unit combining disk drive management, surge protection, and cooling fan
Miscellaneous
- AE 1.6-MB Drive — A 3.5-inch floppy drive with a capacity of 1.6 MB designed for the IIGS, requiring a GS/OS driver to utilize full capacity; Apple's own drives are limited to 800 KB
- AE 1.44-MB Drive — High-density 3.5-inch floppy drive compatible with Commodore Amiga 500 and 2000, beating Commodore's official high-density model to market but incompatible with the Amiga Chinon drive rated at 1.76 MB
- AE 800-KB Drive — An 800 KB capacity, 3.5-inch floppy drive compatible with IIe, IIc/IIc Plus, and IIGS models
- TransWarp — Accelerator boards operating at speeds of 16 MHz and 40 MHz designed for the Macintosh SE
See also
External links
- ReactiveMicro.com Supplier specializing in AE hardware including TransWarp GS upgrades and GS RAM Plus PALs for ROM compatibility
- 16Sector.com Provider of Apple II hardware and support resources focused on AE products
- The Apple2OnlineStore Vendor offering Apple II systems along with related accessories
- Applied Engineering Repository Collection of company advertisements, catalogs, and historical documentation