Most of us are aware of Apple ][ -clones made mainly in Taiwan, but also other countries like Bulgaria, Brazil etc but how many of us have heard of Apple //e clone made in Mainland People’s Republic of China?Â
There are two models that i am aware of (Apple II clones that is) made by the Shaanxi Province Computer Factory and Huaming Computer Co.
– CEC-I – made in beige and red colors
– CEC-E – made in beige color, more rare of the two.
I’ve collected some information what i’ve been able to gather around with google/translate:
CEC-I Chinese learning machine is organized by the Ministry of Electronics Industry Computer and Information Bureau, Tsinghua University presided over the joint design, the electronics division six, state-owned 734 plant, Shaanxi Province Computer Factory and Huaming Computer Co.., Ltd. to participate in the development of a smart Type microcomputer. The CEC-I Chinese learning machine is compatible with the Apple IIe computer and has the same functionality as the Apple IIe.
The CEC-I Chinese learning machine is compatible with the Apple IIe computer, and its functionality is comparable to Apple IIe, which can run a variety of software running on the Apple II , including numerical and non-numerical software, primary and secondary school teaching software , As well as games and other software. Host has a solid monitoring program, BASIC language, Chinese BASIC language Words, and LOGO language , so a boot user can use these languages, without having to read from the floppy disk or tape memory.
CPU 6502, 8-bit microprocessor, 64K addressing space, 1MHz frequency.
Memory 64K bytes of RAM, two 50464 (64k x 4).
ROM 32K bytes, curing monitor and BASIC, LOGO (subset) language, one piece 27256.
Chinese character system GB2312 one, two Chinese character font (two one trillion ROM)
Chinese character management system (to provide location and Pinyin input method, another piece of 27256)
Display interface PAL system RF signal (RF), PAL system TV video signal (CVBS)
The recorder interface is used as a memory. Output voltage 25mV, output impedance 100O (MIC).
Input Signal Peak – Peak Voltage 1V, Input Impedance 12kO (EAR)
Keyboard 69 key, on the panel of the host
9-pin joystick interface.
5.25 “single-sided floppy drive interface. 0.25W, 😯 speaker.
A [apple] series of 50 lines of expansion slots compatible with APPLE II.
25W switching power supply.
Half of each clock cycle is read by the display interface for display, and the memory is refreshed at the same time.
The other half of the time by the processor to read and write memory.
ROM contains a small assembler. ROM in the BASIC is APPLESOFT, adding a few statements
I was lucky enough to find an CEC-I thru a collector in Mainland China.
“User’s Guide for the CEC-I”
Looks like some Chinese teacher investigating the CEC-I (red version of it).
Full class of CEC-computers. That does look like CEC-E model in the desk.
My CEC-I came in a box, however in really bad shape (possibly have mold on it, so i must throw it away). They seem to have produced the CEC-I’s in Red and beige colors.
End of the box. All wet at sometime.
So this is it: the CEC-I Chinese Education Computer 1 in it’s all RED glory. It does have an feeling of Japanise MSX computers at the time as the arrow keys are arranged in grid, like in some Sony MSX computers had. And there’s an slot opening in top for expansion cards/modules.
CEC-I XUE XI JI
Connectors in the right side are: Joystick (left) and “Casette player” (right). Oddly the casette port (DIN) have been covered by manufacturing sticker (or moved there).
And another side we have the switch for the power.
In the back we have connectors for : disk II drive, monitor and composite video input.
The bottom of the case is missing few rubber feet and there’s no serial badge either. The plastic is hard and i can imagine it breaks easily and scratches easily.
When opened, there’s just 6 screws to remove, we can see the keyboard and the logic board. There is one slot for expansion, but i am not sure how you can add any cards to it as the space so small.. it should fit outside the case. Some sort of module maybe?
Keyboard pcb from the bottom.
Model number, serial number and two ROM chips.
ROM chips.
Chips of the board.
Keyboard controller & other chips.
RF-1 modulator.
There’s the Disk II drive connector integrated on the logic board directly.
Close up of the power supply.
And of cos we need an speaker.
In Part 2 i’ll have the CEC-I cleaned up and will boot it up and see what happens….
This beige/white colored CEC-I i got from China as well. This must have been manufactured in different province and factory (if somebody know in which provinces & cities these were made at?). My knownledge of chinese relies on google translate, my wife and help of other Apple II-enthusiasts.
