Re: What are these II+ cards?

[Applemac_G4 <applemac_g4@hotmail.com>]

in article 8kchj0$igk$1@nnrp1.deja.com, Garry Lancaster at
garry_lancaster@my-deja.com wrote on 7/10/00 1:03 PM:

> I've just recently acquired an Apple II+ (European version) which came
> complete with seven cards installed (but no software). Most of the
> cards have pretty obvious functions (two Disk II's, a parallel, a
> serial and a 16K RAM card) but the other two have me foxed.
> 
> First (in slot 1) is the "TABS Accounting Business System", presumably
> some ROM-based application.
> 
> Second (in slot 2) is a small card marked "Ormbeta 1983" which seems
> to consist of a single EPROM chip.

My guess is that the "TABS Accounting Business System" card is some sort of
a ROM based copy protection scheme.  Some companies had tried that out in
the late 80's - if you didn't install the correct piece of hardware, the
software wouldn't run.

Slot #1 used to be the typical slot for a parallel printer card if I
remember correctly, so if this doesn't have any sort of an external
connector on it, that's my best guess.

It's *possible* that the small card in slot #2 is a clock card.  The Apple
//+ and //e never came with a built in clock and some manufacturers offered
clock cards.  From what I remember, they used to look pretty small, and
didn't have much circuitry on board.  One dead giveaway - does this EPROM
card have a small battery on it?  If yes, then it's almost sure to be a
clock card.  If not, then we have to start guessing again.  Perhaps a Z-80
card?