Re: Hacking the Laser 128EX/2

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney) wrote:

>supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) wrote:
>
>>The video system appears completely isolated.  Unlike the Apple II, the
>>Laser's motherboard runs at 3.6Mhz (thus, all the RAM chips are 120ns).
>>However, I noticed that there are 64k of 150ns chips (two chips=64k).  From
>>the Laser advertisements, this is the "video RAM."  Apparently, they've
>>solved the timing problems of a faster motherboard by having separate
>>memory for video.  Neat!  Now this is not as efficient, obviously.  There is
>>192k of memory on the main motherboard, but only 128k shows up as
>>system RAM.
>
>I discovered while flipping through my Laser 128 manual the other day
>that the Laser's also support two video modes that the Apple IIs
>don't.  They support 280x384 with the 8 hi-res colours and 560x384
>with the 16 double-hi-res colours.  Apparently it is an interlaced
>signal so these modes would probably flicker some.  I'd like to try
>these out.
>
>I wonder why Apple never caught on to this idea?  Maybe it is because
>the 560x384 monochrome mode could be used to by a Mac emulation card.
>:)

Now THAT would scare Apple, wouldn't it.  ;-)

If you hook up a digital RGB (CGA) or an analog RGB monitor to the Laser,
you'd also notice something funny.  It has a "solid" PC style character
set for RGB.  Quite nice for classic AppleWorks, actually.  Easy on the
eyes.  It looks as good as text mode on a Second Sight card.

I don't know why AppleWorks Classic fans would choose a IIc or a IIe
over a Laser 128EX or EX/2.  The solid character set alone (no funny
scan lines) is worth it.  And the EX and EX/2 support 1MB of memory
expansion via chips.  The plain 128 supports 1MB too, but it requires
an internal plug in card.