I actually still have my first XT Clone, and it still works. I ran my Citadel BBS on it for years. 30 meg RLL harddrive. Originally with a Hayes 3/12, then I upgraded to a US Robotics 9600 HST.
You can actually download the original XT BIOS images here:
Good thinking - as did Sinclair for the ZX80. It’s so much cheaper - which is to say, injection moulding is hideously expensive for setup costs, so it works well for established players with a strong brand and plenty of cash.