Re: eBay madness - IIgs "gumby" or not? I say not.

[a2aviator@gmail.com]

On Jun 3, 4:44 am, Steven Hirsch <snhir...@gmail.com> wrote:
> a2avia...@gmail.com wrote:
> > There's been a 'Gumby' "prototype" IIgs on eBay that I've been
> > watching ..
>
> > A perfect example of bunk.

> I got a sneak preview of their pre-production IIgs machine in the lab.

Probably a 'violation' of their NDA, too- but being that it was
August, and September was just around the corner, and everyone
involved in the project knew that machine was shipping, it was a done
deal. Or you could have been included on their paperwork, which was
slightly more strict than just a "need to know" none the less, good
for you. :) Not many got to see them prior to introduction, that were
not named on NDA's.

> I clearly recall Steven Malechek (chief engineer)
> pointing that daughterboard out and referring to it as the "airplane". Unless
> senility has truly set in, I remember a "T" shape that came towards the front
> of the case from the ROM socket and spread in _both_ directions.

Can't say that I ever saw a "T" shaped one, part of the deal with that
is the shape itself. But if you look at the eBay picture, you'll see
that a "T" shaped one would not have worked on that motherboard as it
would have blocked over the //e keyboard connector that was, dare I
say, important :) .. since the motherboard was installed in a //e
case. Also interesting is how the PCB runs right up against the
support post on the case top front lip. Almost as if thats why that
support post is exactly where it is. It also does not block the CPU in
any way, allowing access to that for a clip. So in effect, the "L"
shape is so that it's as forward as can be, it's easily gettable,
something that with the IIgs power supply hovering over it, it's not.
But yet the support posts accommodates it quite well.

> Two of the EPROMS were on each side of the center line.  It did not look
> like the unit on eBay.  The eBay unit is an "L" and no one would call that
> shape an "airplane".

No, they probably wouldn't in the direct sense, but in the sense that
it's "flying" over the board, maybe. However, I used to refer to it as
the "aircraft carrier" because it was long and wide and had a
'taxiway' leading to it. ;) But not being there I can't say what you
saw, I just don't think there would have been a "T" configuration in
a //e case unless it had stretched longer forward before splitting, I
have seen 6 of these particular PCB's with ROMs, myself, including the
ones I have.


Of the prototypes I have, I have three of these same "L" shaped
boards, that part is legit. Basically, I'd like to bid on it, but due
to the  the very first bidder already being shielded on their opening
bid, that means that the reserve is over $199.99 and the first bidder
placed a bid for over that amount at their second bid which was 19
seconds after they placed the first bid. It appears that the first bid
placed was for $80 which got overtaken by the 19 second-later-bid, in
proxy form- leaving the still original bidder holding the title at the
current $82.01

As such, I would like to have that ROM board just because it's the
only thing in there that is truly a prototype, as I would be able to
have the proper ROM set for the one in that picture I posted, as it's
got a paper'ed over mask ROM, from Apple, though, so it's a ROM "0".
But I can't see paying $200+ for that thing. After ragging on this
auction, I doubt the buyer would give me access to the ROMs, so ..
there it goes off in history. A ROM dump would at least be nice.

But, truth is.. it's not what it says it is. The seller appears to not
be taking questions either, interestingly. Questions pertaining to
it's authenticity.

> I will not go so far as to accuse the eBay system of being a forgery, but
> there is something very fishy about it.  The system at AE was installed in a
> IIe case and ran from a IIe power supply, but it's possible that other
> pre-production units were in the final IIgs case.

As such of the 10 or so prototype IIgs's that I have in various form,
the only ones that are in IIgs cases are one of the Mark Twains' and
the one I took a picture of. The one I took a picture of, I put the
motherboard in one of my original Woz edition cases, so I could take a
picture of a system similar to the one on the cover of the book,
highlighting the power supply and yellow silkscreened motherboard.
IIgs seed machine were sent in //e cases because there were an
abundance of them and they remained relatively "stealth" that way.
Remember also in the days and probably now, it's even worse, if you
got an Apple seed machine you had to have it in a locked room with who
had access to it declared on your paperwork, to Apple. Locked room
with no windows or other external access. IE, a center of the building
or such, type room. Most of the time, it seems the hardware was not
recalled unless the product never came out.

> The lack of the IIe power connector is rather damning on the eBay system, I'll
> admit.  All IIgs ROM 1 motherboards that I've ever seen had the older
> connector mounted.

Every IIgs that was sold, production, that is every board - that went
into a production model IIgs, did not have these connectors. Later on,
when the //e kit sales were determined to be a flop, Apple /// style,
those boards made their way into the production supply.

Service parts, that being motherboards packaged for the service dept.
stock. Those had //e and IIgs connectors on them, as they were service
parts they had no idea where they were going to end up being called
into service. In an upgraded //e or IIgs.

All the talk on this one is really negated by one thing actually, the
date stamp on the motherboard, clearly visible in the image. I mean,
d'oh! come on. "oh, well, someone could have told the seller thats
what it was". Well...  "they lied, and you believed 'em" or you had
this, peeled off a sticker, stuck the PCB in there and called it a
duck, except.. it doesn't quack. It's a mute duck.