Re: Upgrade a ROM01 machine to ROM03?

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Bryan Villados wrote:

>Yup! Logic board swap. However, from what I've gathered, ROM01 has better
>compatibility with IIGS-specific software than the ROM03. I can't name
>particular packages, but this is what I've always heard. That's why I've
>stuck with ROM01 machines up to now.

I've hear this often enough that I felt I should respond...

What you mean by IIgs-specific software is software that does not "play by
the rules" of the IIgs architecture.  The "French" software comes immediately
to mind.

Because these folks disdained the toolbox and just felt free to use whatever
hacks they could find that seemed to work on the systems they had, and
because they had ROM 01 systems, their code does not work properly with
the newer ROM 3 version of the hardware/firmware.

This is a deficiency of their code, not of the ROM 3.  In every meaningful
sense (except the ability to run code that breaks the rules) the ROM 3 is
a significant improvement on the ROM 01.

If you don't plan to spend a lot of time running "French" software on your
IIgs, then a ROM 3 is definitely the machine you want.

-michael

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