Re: Apple IIgs ROM question

[Justin Scott <djnospam@impakt.net>]

Mitchell Spector <a_specto@alcor.concordia.ca> wrote:
>>The system I've purchased is actually one of the //e->IIgs upgraded systems.
>>This system had (from my understanding) a different motherboard than the 
>>other systems.  It includes a connector for both the //e internal keyboard 
>>and the optional //e keypad.
> 
>    No really. Many of those so-called IIe upgrade boards were shipped
> in standard Apple IIgs cases. Most Apple IIgs boards did not have the
> connectors in place, but there were solder pad locations to add the
> pin connectors if you wanted to do it.

I figured this was probably the case.  It doesn't make much sense to produce a
seperate PCB assembly for a limited distribution of essentially the same
hardware.
 
>>This upgrade package was short lived, and I don't think they made a ROM 3 
>>board with //e keyboard/pad connectors.
> 
>    Support was completely removed from all ROM 3 boards (no connectors
> or solder pads present). 

Yup, figures.  The upgrade avenue was really not as economical as selling ones
whole system and buying a new IIgs system.  In fact, A+ magazine showed that
you could sell a fairly standard //e enhanced system including drives, and 
pick up a IIgs and a 3.5" drive for only $150 more than the upgrade of the 
CPU alone would cost.  That's a great savings, considering the upgrade was 
$500, and the 3.5" was almost $350. :)

>    Yes. The original Apple IIgs motherboard accepted either the ROM 00
> (1986) or ROM 01 (1987) firmware chips. Once the latter was released,
> support for the ROM 00 was dropped by Apple and any programmer 
> writing software for the machine. 

Great to know!

Thanks very much for the info, Mitchell.

cheers,
j