Re: IIe Questions!

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Tony Cianfaglione <ab616@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote:

> I picked a IIe at a thrift store and had a few questions re: the same.
> 
> 1. The SuperSerial Card - This one is dated 1981 but labelled SuperSerial
> II - does the II stand for Apple II or is this a second version?

I haven't looked closely at a SSC for a while, but I've never heard of a
second version of it.  It is probably just for "Apple II".

> 2.  The 6551 is labelled 6551-II (the same deal as above or a revision)?

I'd be surprised if it was a reference to the Apple II, because the 6551
is a standard chip (made by Rockwell and others).  Apple didn't haven't
anything to do with it, and you don't need a special version in the
Apple II.

> 3. This IIe has no 16 pin joystick socket inside - when did they start
> removing them?

They didn't.  Every IIe has a game socket.  I haven't looked closely at
the platinum IIe motherboard, on which they may have moved it, but it is
pretty easy to spot in the older machines.

There might be something plugged into it, making it hard to identify.

> 4. Can the 9pin joystick socket outside use a mouse like a IIc 9pin socket
> does?  Will it work properly?

No.  Only the IIc has the hardware to support a mouse via this port.
You need the Apple II mouse card to use a mouse in the IIe.

> 5. Can I tell by the Serial# on the bottom, the date of manufacture of
> this particular machine - it's a platinum IIe and came with 2 GS-style
> platinum disk II's (with the cords as opposed to ribbon cables).

Probably, if someone has a reference table or some known dates.

You should be able to narrow down its age by looking at the motherboard,
along the back of the machine (behind the slots) - there is a design
date, and I think there is also a manufacturing date stamped onto it.

The general type of IIe would help narrow it down: if it is a platinum
one (with numeric keypad) then it is 1987 or later.  The original
machine would be 1983 to 1987, and this can be narrowed down further by
determining the motherboard revision (A, B or enhanced).

> 6. Can a 3.5" drive plug into the controller and daisy chain like the IIc?

Assuming you mean the 5.25" drive chain provided by the UniDisk
controller, then no.  You need a separate controller card to connect a
3.5" drive to a IIe.  There are four main options:

- Apple's "Liron" card, which supports the UniDisk 3.5.

- Apple's "SuperDrive" card, which supports the UniDisk 3.5, Apple 3.5
Drive or SuperDrive.  (This requires an enhanced IIe.)

- Universal Disk Controller, which supports the Apple 3.5 Drive, 5.25"
drives, and Mac 400K and 800K drives.  (The SuperDrive may also work,
but would behave like an Apple 3.5.)

- PC Transporter, which supports PC Transporter TransDrives (PC format
360K 5.25" or 720K 3.5") and the Apple 3.5 Drive (slow and not very
compatible).

> 7. Will a GS RAM card (1meg or higher) work in a IIe?  Can any GS card
> work?

There is no slot in a IIe that could accept a IIgs memory card.

(Well, you could plug it into a standard slot, ignoring the fact that
several pins go nowhere, and seriously damage the IIgs memory card in
the process, possibly taking the IIe with it!)

Many cards that are used in standard slots in the IIgs will also work in
the IIe, apart from obvious exceptions like IIgs accelerators and sound
cards.  The RamFast revision D doesn't work in a IIe, but the revision C
is OK.  I don't know whether the Second Sight card works in a IIe.

The memory expansion options for the IIe are auxiliary slot multi-bank
cards (like the RamWorks), which require special software or patches, or
standard slot "slinky" cards like Apple's 1MB card and the RamFactor,
which work automatically as ProDOS RAM disks.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand