Re: More Questions from a New IIgs User

[Phoenyx <quazar@dcnet2000.com>]

Jeff Blakeney wrote:
> 
> However, I still believe that the Laser 128 and IIc have extra
> hardware that detect the mouse (probably using the Mouse signature)
> and change the way they read the paddle inputs because I really don't
> think the standard paddle reading hardware would be adequate to make
> the mouse very responsive.  Besides, there has to be some reason that
> Apple created a mouse interface card for the IIe rather than just
> using the 9 pin game connector like they did on the IIc.
> 
> I really think you'd need an oscilloscope to figure this out without
> proper documentation but if you want to try, feel free.  Doing things
> like this is what makes the Apple II so much fun.  :-)
> 

Yes Jeff, you're right. The //c is hardwired in a rather unique way
to read the mouse and still be able to use the Apple keys, the banked
ROM and offer the VBL irq. It is actually a rather neat design method
which allows the mouse to offer input to a Basic program with the same
ease as the IIe and mouse card.

I'm not quite certain how the mouse is recognized, but since it is an
active device as opposed to the passive joystick, it should be easy
for the firmware to recognize at startup.

Of course, there's always the oddball. When Apple came out with the
slinky ram card, they moved things around, but I believe the hardware
is still basically the same.

As for the joystick, it functions the same as any other II. Even the
necessary pauses required for accurate reading. It's actually good
for us //c owners that Apple designed it the way they did. Otherwise,
the Zram (and possibly the Checkmate) memory cards might never have
come into existence. At the very least they would have required a
lot more effort to function the way they do. As you may know, the
Zram takes advantage of one of the joystick's soft switches for bank 
selection.