Restoring a Lesser-Known Apple II Duplicate
In the world of retrocomputing, a unique artifact from the early days of home computing has been brought back to life. The Mimic Spartan, an obscure Apple II clone designed to interface with a Commodore 64, is currently undergoing restoration by ARC Javmaster.
The Mimic Spartan arrives in a beige box, equipped with edge connectors and cables, designed to hook up to all the ports on the Commodore 64. The device leverages the C64’s keyboard and hardware to function, providing Apple II compatibility. This hybrid setup allows users to switch between running Commodore 64 software or Apple II software, and even facilitates limited data exchange between the two systems.
The concept of the Mimic Spartan was to effectively have both machines in one setup, taking advantage of the popularity and availability of the C64 while gaining Apple II functionality. However, achieving a full boot or operation has proven elusive so far in the restoration attempts.
The Mimic Spartan project was partly documented by one of the developers, Brent Marykuca, and retrocomputing enthusiasts like Mike Naberezny have researched it, seeking original software and disks that came with the machine. The Mimic Spartan is very rare; only a few are known to have survived, and restoration efforts are ongoing.
In a recent video and article, ARC Javmaster documented the restoration process, which has resulted in a basic test of the restored Mimic Spartan, displaying a short line of text. Despite this progress, a full boot of the Mimic Spartan has not been achieved yet.
Mike Naberezny is currently seeking the original disk that shipped with the Mimic Spartan when new, hoping it will provide further insights into the operation of this unique device. The Mimic Spartan, a "Frankenstein" device that blurred the lines between two major 8-bit platforms of the early 1980s, represents an innovative but niche approach to Apple II cloning by reusing a common commodity computer, the Commodore 64, as its base system.
[1] ARC Javmaster (2025). Mimic Spartan Restoration - Part 1. [Online Video]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
[3] ARC Javmaster (2025). Mimic Spartan Restoration - Part 2. [Online Article]. Retro Computing Magazine. Available at: https://www.retrocomputingmagazine.com/mimic-spartan-restoration-part-2/
[1] The Mimic Spartan, an Apple II clone, arrived equipped with hardware that hooks up to a Commodore 64 through edge connectors and cables, leveraging the C64's keyboard and hardware for Apple II compatibility.
[2] With the Mimic Spartan, users can run both Commodore 64 software and Apple II software, as well as facilitate limited data exchange between the two systems, blurring the lines between the two major 8-bit platforms of the early 1980s.
