Re: Apple ][e - Getting started (DITTO!!!)

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) writes...

>Here are the specs for the IIc Plus:

>5. CPU:
>     Western Design Center (not to be confused with Western
>     Digital, the hard drive maker) 65C02 running at 4Mhz
>     with 8k of cache RAM.

    It's worth noting it had the equivalent of a Zip Chip accelerator
built-in, only instead of everything crammed into a tall 40-pin DIP
chip, the ASIC, TAG and DATA SRAM and 65C02 were separate components.
In fact, Apple Computer licensed the Zip Chip design from REMcorp
(formely Zip Technologies).

>6. ROM:
>     64k -- Contains Applesoft BASIC and monitor

    Incorrect. The ROM size was 32k, identical to the last 3 ROM
revisions of the IIc before it (although they filled up more ROM
space than previous versions of the IIc firmware).

>10. Display:

>        --High Resolution: 280x192 pixels in 6 colors
>        --Double High Resolution: 560x192 pixels in 16 colors.

    Those resolutions can only be obtained in monochrome mode,
otherwise, when color is added, you effectively lose half the
horizontal resolution in High-Res and a third of it in Double-
High-Res (140x192 in both cases).

>13. Input/Output:
>     Two RS-232C ports (mini-DIN 8-pin; uses the same serial
>                        cables as the IIGS and Macintosh)

    True, but the like previous versions of the Apple IIc only
5 of the 8 pins are used and both ports are still controlled 
by a pair of 6551 chips. Functionally the serial ports are 
identical to older versions of the IIc, other than the 
connector type.

>     Composite display output (NTSC or PAL depending on the
>                               country)

    Wrong, only NTSC is output by the composite port. In fact
the IIc Plus was only sold in the United States, so for this
reason there were no international versions made.

>     Video expansion connector for adding an LCD flat panel
>          display or external RGB interface

    The port is identical to previous versions of the IIc. To
support an RGB monitor you required a Video 7 external box in
between the IIc and monitor ("external RGB interface" could
imply a properly wired cable to some).

>     Internal RAM expansion connector for optional 1MB RAM

    From what I know, it is slightly different from the RAM
expansion connector on the Memory Expandable IIc (you need
a IIc+ compatible memory board, or must modify Apple's card
unless they put out a revised card at some point).

>          card...some Apple IIc Plus shipped with 256K

    Where did you hear that? They all came shipped with 128k
out of the box. If you got it with 256k, you had to purchase
a memory card from your dealer and Apple's card (certainly
at the time the IIc+ was released) was not compatible.

    I somehow doubt Apple was shipping Apple IIc Pluses with
third party memory boards installed from the factory. Some
dealers, at least in my area, would sell and install third
party hardware though. I bought my MDIdeas SuperSonic card
from an authorized Apple dealer in Boston (just off Cape 
Cod) come to think of it.

>     Internal modem connector

    Which was never supported by Apple or third parties,
though at least one company built a prototype.

    Did you mention the internalized powersupply? That was
one of the three major things that made the IIc+ special
(the other two were the accelerator and 3.5 floppy drive).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca