Re: More old apple // identification questions.

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

In article Thomas Krahn <tkrahn@king.igs.net> writes...

>I had posted a little while back asking to identify my apple //s.
>
>Here are a few more detailed questions:
>
>-What is the sequence of apple name plates.

    The original Apple II had a single name plate that just read
"Apple ][" with a large rainbow Apple logo beside it. The next
name plate was identical, expect it had the word "Plus" in small
green italic letter below it. When the Apple IIe was introduced,
they reduced the size of the name plate and split it into two
bits; one said "Apple" with the logo beside it, the other just
beside that, had "//e". The Apple III was pretty much identical,
expect of course the second plate was "///".

    After that, Apple II's just had the names printed directly onto
the plastic case, including the later model Platinum IIe. The Apple
logo was a little metal bit that was glued into a recess elsewhere.

>Mine says "apple" with no "][" or "][+".  Which computer is this for?

    There was no Apple II that just had "Apple" written on the case,
sounds like a clone from your descriptions below.

>-What markings should be on the motherboard?  for the ][ or the ][+?

    It should say "Apple Computer" with a part number nearby.  The
Apple II part number was 820-0001-0x (x = 0 through about 7). Though
the revision 00 wasn't marked come to think of it, and the first
couple of revisions had the part number underneath the 6502 (that
is where it is hidden on my revision 02 Apple II board). The II Plus,
at least later RF models, had 820-0044-xx, but there is no real clear
distinction between a II and II Plus board in terms of part number.

    The major difference between the II and II Plus was what ROM
firmware was present, and Apple actually may have shipped some
Apple II's while the II Plus existed.

> Who is the manufacturer "unitron"?   My apple has "Unitron" on the
>motherboard.  Is this a replacement?  or was the manufacturing contracted
>out?

    Unitron is a clone name, I recognize it because I have some cards
and packages with that name marked on it. :) Sounds very much like you
have a clone Apple II computer there.

>-Were applesoft ROMs only put in the ][+  or did they also get put in the
>][?

    Yep, one of main "pluses" of the Apple II Plus was it had Applesoft
and Autostart Monitor in ROM (the II had Interger and the old Monitor).
Several people swapped the newer ROMs into their Apple II's however,
upgrading them more or less to II Pluses. My machine is like this, which
is unfortunate since I would have preferred the original ROMs for
collectability (actually one of these days I want to downgrade my
Apple II back into a plain old "II" :)

    It is possible some Apple II's had Autostart ROMs out of the factory,
just around the time the Plus came out, but they'd be quite rare I'd
imagine. Anyone know for certain about this?

>I have a disk ][ drive but with no apple markings. Externally it is
>similar to the apple drive including the big square depressions on the
>top, but it has more ventilation slots and a slightly darker finish.
>Unlike the Mitac clone drives I have, the cable comes out the left side,
>just like the apple.   I can't find any markings on it. Who made this?

    Same here, I have a clone drive that looks very similar to an
Apple Disk II drive (without the Apple logo). Mine does have a
name like "Vista/Solo" on it actually, but it is most definitely a
clone drive. 

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca