Re: Apple ][c+ Questions

[ab616@chebucto.ns.ca (Tony Cianfaglione)]

Patrick Roy Anthony (panthony@hookup.net) wrote:

: Great reading! Here is my story I saw an 
: Apple ][c at a Used Computer outlet awhile
: ago, and became very interested in the Apple ][
: line of computers. After searching on the web 
: I discovered this and a few other sites about the
: Apple ][. I went back to buy that ][c, but a ROM
: check showed me that It was not worth my time (255)

   I have a couple of 255 IIc's and they are definitely worth your time.  
Most IIc software was not hard drive installable and came on 5.25" disks 
and ran perfectly well in a 255 IIc.  My IIc's both run at 14,400 bps 
(using my generic PC Hayes-compatible modem) although I've heard some 
won't go beyond 1200 baud.  Using the external drive as a boot drive was 
also possible in a 255 IIc, in the event your internal drive ceased 
functioning so you were not totally out of a computer.

: I have actually never seen a ][c+ (not even a 
: picture) and I understand that it really doesn't
: look like the the original ][c. Has anyone seen,
: own, have a picture of a ][c+? 

   A IIc+ look exactly like a IIc with the following exceptions: it is 
platinum (GS color) as opposed to white, has a built-in power supply and no 
"brick-on-a-rope", has an internal 3.5" drive instead of the 5.25" drive, 
has a nicer feeling keyboard (GS style), has 2 mini 8 pin din serial 
ports instead of 5 pin din ports., volume control moved to a face place 
from side panel and has a few different keys...option, cloverleaf instead 
of closed-apple.

: What are your impressions of this fine 8 bit computer?

   Not too good.  It's very hard to find any software on 3.5" for it.  
Virtually all of the 3.5" disks you will come across will be for the GS 
and will not run.  Only 8 bit software like ProTerm, Appleworks, 
PublishIt, etc will work.  Anything you find on 5.25" (masters) that use 
timing cycles (like many games) will not run properly because you cannot 
boot from the external 5.25" drive and keep the 1 mhz clock cycle.  If it 
runs at 4 mhz, the games will mess up.  You also cannot copy the games over 
from the 5.25" disks because they are copyguarded and will not transfer 
to the 3.5" medium.  So software for the IIc+ is scarce.  The 255 IIc 
looks good in comparison.

Tony Cianfaglione
ip-nsaug@chebucto.ns.ca
Nova Scotia Apple II Users Group
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Technology/AppleUsersGroup
Chebucto Community Net

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