Re: Rarity and Pricing

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Christopher N. Russell <chrisrussell2k@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Looking through auctions and newsgroup posts, I could only ponder about the
> value of Apples and their rarity. Personally, the rarity of Apple IIs, in my
> opinion, goes like this, in order from rarest to most common:
> 
> Apple ][, original (not upgraded rom)
> Apple ///+
> Apple IIc +
> Apple II +
> Apple ///
> Apple IIgs Woz
> Apple IIe, IIc, IIgs are about the same rarity

There are a lot more Apple IIe machines than either IIc or IIgs, and
there are fewer Apple /// machines than Apple ][+ machines, so I'd be
more inclined to order it like this:

Apple ][ (original)
Apple ///+
Apple IIc+
Apple ///
Apple IIgs Woz
(big jump in quantity starting here)
Apple ][+
Apple IIgs non-Woz
Apple IIc
Apple IIe (much more common than anything else)


The Apple ][+ might move into the rarer grouping, as older machines fail
and/or get thrown out.  I'm not sure whether I'd place the IIc above or
below the non-Woz IIgs.

> Also, I heard that there were three kinds of IIe s: The plain apple IIe, the
> apple IIe enhanced/extended, and the apple IIe "platinum." Of course, the
> plain apple IIe is just the original, the platinum is the one with the
> keypad, but somewhere I hear there was an apple IIe enhanced or extended. It
> had engraved down in the corner, left of the spacebar, engraved either
> enhanced or extended, and I can't remember which. Could somebody fill me in?

The enhanced IIe is the same as the original one with the enhancement
kit installed (CD and EF ROMs, video ROM and 65C02 instead of 6502).  It
should also say "65C02" above the power light (on the keyboard) - this
was supplied as a sticker with the enhancement kit.

Apple shipped machines with the enhancement kit preinstalled from some
time in 1985.  The legend on the logic board was updated to reflect the
part numbers of the enhancement kit.  I have an International (UK) IIe
of this type here.

> One more thing: there was an apple IIe - IIgs upgrade kit offered by apple.

Yep.  It included a new motherboard and base panel.  The original IIe
upper case, lid, keyboard and power supply were retained.  If you were
upgrading from the original IIe (no built-in numeric keypad) you could
also connect an external numeric keypad.

It only works with the original IIgs motherboard (ROM 00 or 01), because
Apple removed the IIe power supply and keyboard connectors on the 1 MB
IIgs motherboard (ROM 3). 

It is worth noting that the IIe keyboard is not as useful as an ADB one.
For example, software cannot distinguish between the main keyboard and
numeric keypad with the built-in keyboard, but it can with an ADB
keyboard.

> Can anyone describe it to me, like what it came with, how much it cost, etc.

I don't recall the exact price, but it was more than half the price of a
standard IIgs.  When I got my first IIgs, I considered getting a second
hand IIe and upgrading it, but it worked out cheaper to buy a standard
IIgs.