Re: IIgs Rom1 versus Rom3

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

"Trevor J. Mahan" writes ...
> 
> Hello:
> 
> I just bought a IIgs Rom1 Woz Limited edition from a guy locally.  He also
> had what he called the Rom3 upgrade kit which consisted of several rom chips
> and nothing else.  He gave me a screaming deal so I bought it all.  My
> question is how do I upgrade these roms?  Do I need software or specific
> manuals for this?

     The Woz Edition IIgs originally came with the "ROM-00" ROMs. Many of these
machines (including ours) were upgraded to ROM-01 via a ROM swap-in and swapping in
a new Video Controller. (This was a free service from Apple you got done at a local
dealer.)  The new Video Controller was to correct color fringing problems which
plagued some ROM-00 machines. The new ROM is the really important part of the
upgrade.

     The ROM-01 IIgs can not, practically speaking, be upgraded to ROM 3-- there
are too many hardware differences. (You may have gotten ROM-03 ROMs; but, they are
not of much use in anything but a ROM-03 IIgs.)

     It's pretty easy to tell what version of IIgs you have. When you boot a ROM-01
GS, the startup screen shows "ROM Version 01"; when you boot a ROM-00 GS the
startup screen says nothing about ROM version. The ROM 3 GS startup screen shows
"ROM Version 3". (No ROM-02 GS was ever released). 

     For more IIgs info see http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs5MAINHALL.html .


> And is having Rom v3 better than Rom vs. 1.

     The ROM 3 offers some nice advantages but is not compatible with some early
IIgs software. For a more in-depth comparison see
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2HDWHACK.html#020



> I don't plan
> to do much gaming or print/publishing.  What I want to do is program and use
> GNO/ME(Unix).  I was wondering if any one could help me out with this,
> as well as suggest which system software to get

     See the GNO Page at http://trenco.myrias.com:80/%7Egno/ .



> and where to get a mouse.
 ....


     You can look for a IIgs mouse on comp.sys.apple2.marketplace or check Apple II
stuff vendors at http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs3VENDORS.html .

     An alternative is to consider using a Mac mouse. Here is some info about that
from the newsgroup FAQs ...


Csa2 FAQs-on-Ground ref: Csa2KBPADJS.txt
>>

From: Supertimer

025- Can I replace my broken GS mouse with one from a Mac?

     Yes, if it is a Macintosh ADB mouse. The "teardrop" ADB Mouse II that comes on
newer Macs works great on the IIGS and can be found for a few bucks in Mac for-sale
groups. Third party ADB mice should work too.

Note: Mice for Mac Plus and before are not ADB so won't work. Mice for the new iMac
won't work because they are for the USB interface.

<<



Rubywand