Re: Slot settings on a ROM 3

[Pim Blokland <nipp@plane.nl>]

In article <20000115142239.20250.00000023@ng-bd1.aol.com>, 
supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) wrote:

> Right.  Under GS/OS, you can use slot 4 and keep the mouse
> on a ROM 3.  The ROM 01 can't do this.

Yes, I know that! But my question was: why? Does the ROM 01 use routines 
that are located at $ExC4xx? Or does de ROM 3 do some nasty tricks that 
they hadn't thought of when they manufactured the 01? That's the kind of 
thing I'm curious about.

> >For instance, I noticed the other day that after I set slot 3 to "Your 
> >card" instead of "Built in text", I can execute the APPLESOFT command 
> >PR#3, and the machine switches to 80 columns. But I cannot execute the 
> >PRODOS command PR#3; this results in a "No device connected" error.
> 
> That's strange.  PR#3 should cease working either way.

Oh my. Isn't this machine a wondrous piece of fuzzy logic!
I discovered that you and I are both right. When you boot the ROM 3 up 
in DOS 3.3, you can't get to the 80 column screen. But when you boot up 
in ProDOS or GS/OS, you can, as long as you don't press reset!
Set slot 3 to "Your Card". Switch the machine off (this is for all you 
sceptics) and boot from a floppy that has only ProDOS and Basic.System 
on it.
Now type :PR#3 (That's PR#3, preceeded by a colon.)
This puts you in 80-column mode!
Press reset.
This puts you back in 40 colums.
type :PR#3 again.
This time, the computer hangs.
Can anyone explain that to me?

> >Or, what use is having a switchable "modem port/your card" setting if 
> >the software can work with the modem port even if the setting is "your 
> >card"? Wouldn't it be simpler to the user if the switch simply wasn't 
> >there, and the machine was always set to "your card".
> 
> It is for IIe programs that don't know better.

No, no, no. If the user leaves the setting to "Your Card", //e programs 
run fine. If he THINKS the setting is "Your Card" - because most comm 
programs work - but it isn't, this will crash programs that are not 
IIgs-compliant and expect a SSC. So my advice would have been to not 
implement this switchable setting, but always leave it set to "Your 
card".
If it was compatibility they had been after, they would have made those 
serial ports compatible with the Apple //c's and have the user be able 
to switch between SSC mode, //c mode etc.
-- 
Groetjes, Pim

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