Re: IIe Questions!

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) writes...

>Tony Cianfaglione <ab616@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote:
>
>> 3. This IIe has no 16 pin joystick socket inside - when did they start
>> removing them?
>
>They didn't.  Every IIe has a game socket.  I haven't looked closely at
>the platinum IIe motherboard, on which they may have moved it, but it is
>pretty easy to spot in the older machines.
>
>There might be something plugged into it, making it hard to identify.

    Most likely someone inserted a chip in its place, it is afterall
a plain DIP socket (of course your not supposed to put a chip there,
and I cannot think of any reason for doing so). Perhaps someone saw
the empty socket and without thinking put in some random TTL chip?

    I don't have a Platinum IIe in my collection to examine, but I'm
almost 100% sure they all had a Game I/O socket and in the very same
place as previous motherboard revisions--the upper right corner.

>> 6. Can a 3.5" drive plug into the controller and daisy chain like the IIc?
>
>- PC Transporter, which supports PC Transporter TransDrives (PC format
>360K 5.25" or 720K 3.5") and the Apple 3.5 Drive (slow and not very
>compatible).

    Can an Apple 3.5 connected to a PC Transporter be booted directly?
I would assume not, and it appears you must patch ProDOS-8 for it to
be recognized at all, even as a data drive (I never had any luck with
it in my IIe and never used it much in Apple mode on my IIgs).

>> 7. Will a GS RAM card (1meg or higher) work in a IIe?  Can any GS card
>> work?
>
>Many cards that are used in standard slots in the IIgs will also work in
>the IIe, apart from obvious exceptions like IIgs accelerators and sound
>cards.  The RamFast revision D doesn't work in a IIe, but the revision C
>is OK.  I don't know whether the Second Sight card works in a IIe.

    A few weeks ago I did a little experiment and tried plugging my
RamFAST revision D (manufactured by Sequential Systems) into my IIe
and it appeared to work. I didn't hook up a SCSI device, but it did
start searching for one and allowed me access to the firmware based
menu program. In comparison, my CV Technologies revision D board
wouldn't work *at all*. I do know some late-model Sequential System 
boards were modified to work in IIe's, although mine is from late
1993. In any case, RamFAST revision D cards in an Apple IIe is an 
iffy subject, they are more or less IIgs specific cards.

    The Second Sight card technically should work in an Apple IIe,
but from a practical standpoint it would be utterely pointless.
With the current firmware (which now looks to be final) it does
not at all support Double-Hi-Res and does a very inaccurate job
emulating Single-Hi-Res (no color fringing for one thing). Also,
all native Second Sight programs currently require a IIgs. It
may work if you want to hook up a VGA-class monitor for working
in AppleWorks (albeit with an IBM ANSI character text set).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca