Re: Apple II working?

[wbdesnoy@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca (Byron Desnoyers Winmill)]

softshare@my-dejanews.com wrote:
: I'm interested in buying an Apple IIe for my collection of 80's computers,
: but I need help knowing if the two I'm looking at are working properly.

: The first has two drives attached that are separated.  When I start it up,
: the prompt appears and I can type things, but everything I type results in a
: syntax error.  Drive 1 appears to do nothing on boot up.

It sounds like this //e isn't seeing the drive or the drive controller.  
Try popping open the case and checking the cables, then reseating the 
controller card.  The controller should be in slot 6, but I believe that 
slots 5 and 7 are also common.  But odds are, even if the drive or 
controller does not work, the rest of the system is fine.  So save it or 
find it a good home.

Unless you boot the system of a diskette, you will only be able to type
BASIC commands.  (ie. CATALOG will not work.)

: The second has the two drives in one that sit perfectly atop the unit.  When I
: start it, I see Apple ][ at the top of the screen but no prompt.  The Drive 1
: red light remains on and the drive spins.

In this case, your ][ almost certainly knows that the drives and drive
controller are there, but can't find anything to load.  Try digging up a
DOS 3.3 or ProDOS diskette, if not just hit <CONTROL><RESET>.  Once again,
unless you boot off a DOS diskette, you will not be able to access DOS
commands. 

: Thank you!

No problem.

Byron Desnoyers