Re: Apple IIe?

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

Nathan Olson (natolson@linkup.net) wrote:
: How do you tell which kind of Apple IIe you have...

: Extended...platinum...enhanced...etc...etc...

: Also, how can you tell how much RAM it has, whether or not it should boot
: when you turn it on...etc...etc...etc...

The quick-and-dirty way to identify a //e:

Power it up and look at the splash screen that comes up.  
If you see...                     You have...
Apple ][                          An unenhanced ][e
Apple //e                         An 'enhanced' //e
Apple IIgs                        A 'stealth' GS in a //e case

Now look at the case.  If the case is grey and has a numeric keypad built
into the keyboard, you have a 'platinum' //e, which means it is enhanced. 
The 'enhancements' are some changes to the ROMs, the Mousetext video ROM,
and the 65C02 CPU (rather than the 6502).  

If the case is beige and has no numeric keypad, then you have either an
unenhanced ][e or an enhanced //e.

All Apple ][e's have a version of the Autostart ROM, so all ][e's should
attempt to boot automatically on start-up.  I don't believe any of the
][e's have "boot failure" code as found in the //c or IIgs ("Check startup
device!").  With no disk controller installed in a ][e, the machine will
autostart to an Applesoft prompt ("]").

Now open the lid and have a look.  At the left-hand side of the
motherboard, near the front of the case, there is a card slot which is a
little bigger than the seven at the back of the case.  Shut off the
computer and remove the card from that slot if it has one.

Finished?  Good.

Now your ][e has 64k of RAM.  Take a look at the card you pulled out.  If
it is a short card, the same length as the slot, but tall enough that the
front end of the card is cut to match the slope of the case, then you have
a "IIe 80-col brd."  Stick that back into the slot where it came from; you
have a 65k ][e; that board only gives you 80-column capability.

If that card is a really short card (likely if you have a platinum //e),
the same length as the slot, but rectangular and not tall at all, then you
have a 'new' 64k 80-column board.  Stick that back into the slot where it
came from; you now have a 128k ][e.

If that card is slightly longer than the slot and sloped at one end, and
very full of chips, take a look at the two-pin jumper at the back end of
the card.  This is a 64k "extended" 80-column card.  That jumper enables
the double-hires graphics *if* the part number of your motherboard does
not end with "-A".  The short card doesn't have the jumper, as there were
not many -A motherboards sold.  Stick that card back into the slot where
it came from; you now have a 128k ][e.

If there was nothing in that slot when you started, you have a 64k
40-column ][e.

If you have something else in that slot, you may have lots more memory. 
But those are the basic Apple configurations.

That should get you started with the machine identification...!

--Dave Althoff, ][.
-- 
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