unveiled the Franklin Ace 1000, the first legal Apple II clone (by 1983, Franklin released an operating Franklin Ace 1200 Apple II compatible for US$2200). Let’s quote just a few examples: in 1982, Franklin Computer Corp. These devices would run the same software as Apple’s, with a few exceptions, and they were less expensive as Apple computers as the manufacturer didn’t invest in design, testing, etc. 3 Computer Chronicles – Mac Clones (1995).