Re: II+ (amazing what you forget in 16 years!)

[dalloff@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff)]

MERLANCIA (merlancia@aol.com) wrote:
: Keep it by all means! I think that the bars on the screen are being caused by a
: mis-seated (or missing) ROM .
: Without a disk controllec card, the ][+ will boot automatically to BASIC.
: However the ROM version of BASIC will not read or write to disks. Only the disk
: version will work with disks.

A technical nit-pick...

Unlike certain computers I can name, the Apple ][ uses the same version of
BASIC whether or not the disk system is active.  Because DOS overlays
itself between the user and Applesoft (or Integer) BASIC, once DOS is
loaded, disk commands are available.  But the machine is, in fact, running
the same ROM version of BASIC.

This does not change the fact that MERLANCIA's comment is *functionally*
correct, though *technically* imprecise.


It is also worth noting that the "automatic boot to BASIC" is a major
difference between the ][ and the ][+.  While the ][+ has Autostart ROM
and will automatically jump to BASIC or will attempt to boot a disk if a
controller is present, the original ][ starts up at a Monitor prompt and a
screenfull of question-marks and garbage text.  Gee...it's been about
fifteen years since I dealt with one of those!  Anyway, on one of those a
"Ctrl-B" will get you into BASIC and from there you can use PR#n to boot a
disk.  (Or use an n^P or Cn00G from the Monitor...)

--Dave Althoff, ][.
-- 
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