Re: when did ROM 03's come out?

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

In article tyoung@jove.acs.unt.edu (Phillip `Ty' Young) writes...
>
>with what serial number or manufacturing date did ROM 03's come out ?  I 
>have an opportunity to buy a IIgs which the person says was bought in 88, 
>so I rather imagine it is a ROM 01, but in any case she has it all boxed 
>up and doesn't want to turn it on to find out what ROM version it is....
>thanks for any help you can be..

	The Apple IIgs ROM 3 (not "03", which never existed) was released
in August 1989, so it's very doubtful this person could have bought one in
1988. The ROM 01 and ROM 3 CPU box are identical from the outside, the only
difference is the motherboard inside.

	Identifying a ROM 3 is simple, even if you can't power it up 
and look at the startup screen. Just remove the cover and examine the 
motherboard inside, there are many notible features which distinguist
it from the ROM 00/01. First look on the middle right side. Printed
will be the wording "Apple IIgs"; ROM 00/01 motherboards have it
printed "Apple //GS" and in a different area. Next thing you'll notice
is that there are two EPROM chips side-by-side (instead of one), and twice 
the number of DRAMs in the Fast RAM bank (just above ROMs). Other minor
things that you may notice -- Ensoniq chip and VGC chip are soldered-in,
clock-battery is visable (not hidden under powersupply) and in a little
black snap-case. Slots have _no_ printed number ID and the motherboard is
dark-green with gold colored pathway traces. There are of course other
changes, but you won't immediately notice them unless a closer inspection
and/or comparison is made. 

	Also note, the Apple IIgs Owner's Guide that accompanies the machine 
was renamed "Apple IIgs Owner's Reference" and printed below read, "Apple 
IIgs with 1 megabyte of RAM" (Apple's offical name for the ROM 3 computer).
The picture on the cover is a B&W image and the manual is *quite* a bit
thicker than the ROM 00/01 manual (about the same thickness as my Apple //c
Technical Reference). And of course, had much more useful and detailed 
information inside! :) Insist upon looking at the Owner's Guide and GS
motherboard, that should give you the information your looking for...

>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Ty Young, Teaching Fellow in Cello & Early Music  University of North Texas
>internet:  tyoung@jove.acs.unt.edu		           College of Music
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Mitchell Spector
m_spect@pavo.concordia.ca / spector@vax2.concordia.ca