Re: Newbie Questions

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Stephen Granger <rhopi@bellsouth.net> wrote:

> My wife came home with a IIe from school, and we have some questions...
> 
> 1a) Do I need a system disk to start a IIe?

You do if you want to be able to do something productive.

> If I turn the thing on w/o a disk in the drive, the drive keeps spinning.

This is normal behaviour for the Apple ][, ][+ and IIe.  Later machines
(IIc and IIgs) using their built-in drive firmware will time out if a
boot disk is not found.

If you want to get into Applesoft BASIC, press Control-Reset while the
disk is spinning.  You won't have any disk support, so the only way to
save anything is using cassette tape.

> 1b) if I need a system disk, where do I get one?  How about a comm program
> to download stuff from the internet?  (There's lots of educational software
> out there my wife can use at school...)

You will need to find someone who can supply you with a ProDOS-8 System
Disk, for starters.  This is probably also the easiest way to get
communication software.

Note that you won't be able to _use_ any communications software unless
the machine has a Super Serial Card installed in slot 2, correctly set
up for use with a modem.

> 2a) When I do the self test, it says " *RAM 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0".  The computer
> has an expansion card in it - looks like 8 ram chips.  When I pull it out,
> everything is fine.  Do I need this expansion card?

Assuming it is the auxiliary slot (in the lower left corner, next to the
power supply, assuming this is the US version of the IIe): this is the
"extended 80-column card".  It provides memory required to use 80-column
text mode, double high-resolution graphics mode, and an additional 64KB
of RAM.

You will need this card (or a replacement) to run the majority of
software written for the IIe or later machines.  Software written for
use on older machines (][ or ][+) should work fine without it.

The error indicates that one of the RAM chips on the card is faulty (it
could also be a dry joint or corroded contact or track associated with
the appropriate chip).  I can't tell you which end to start counting
from, but it will be the third chip from one end or the other.

> 2b) is a memory error a bad thing?  My wife has MECC disks up the wazoo, but
> has never experienced a problem.

It is probably not using the auxiliary memory or higher resolution video
modes.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand