Re: Apple ][ with oddball rom

[ChemSleuth@earthlink.net (Dennis Doms)]

In article <ZFdz4.3912$q3.45492@news2.tor.primus.ca>,
"Robert-Francois" <robert-francois@engineer.com> wrote:

>I have a ][ with oddball ram that allows one to switch back and forth from
>Applesoft to Integer Basic. What I do not understand is that it will boot
>and run 2 disks and none more, both being DOS 3.3 yet refuses to boot others
>that are DOS 3.3 or PRODOS. I have tried all the disks in question on my IIc
>and IIe and they work perfectly.
>Is there something I am missing here? Have tried other drives and controller
>cards and nothing changes. Any help would be most welcome.

It sounds like the "RAM" card might actually be an Applesoft (if the
host computer is a ][) or Integer BASIC (if the host computer is a ][
Plus) ROM card. That would make the computer behave in the manner you
mention.

If memory serves, there's a red toggle switch on the back of the card.
In the "up" position, the ROMs on the card are activated following; in
the "down" position, the ROMs on the motherboard. Non-DOS (e.g.
"normal" ProDOS and  UCSD/Apple Pascal) disks won't load because they
need writeable memory (RAM) in the ROM address space used by the card.
(Actually, ProDOS may run into other limitations as well; latter
versions require a newer processor type than that used in the ][ or ][
Plus.)

There are other tricks with the card as well, but you may want to
displace it with a "Language Card"-style RAM card. In that case, some
disks will load BASIC into the RAM, but other code can be loaded as
well.

 --
Dennis Doms  ChemSleuth@earthlink.net  http://home.earthlink.net/~chemsleuth
"If Bill Clinton, Kenneth Starr, Linda Tripp, and Monica Lewinsky all worked
              on car lots, I would buy my car from Monica."
            -- Brian Clarke, "Letters", _Time_, April 5, 1999