Re: Please Help to Indentify this Apple Stuff

[jruschme@hiway1.exit109.com (John Ruschmeyer)]

In article <5gt4ql$4th$1@nntp.igs.net>,
Thomas Krahn <tkrahn@king.igs.net> wrote:
>First of all,  Is this the right newsgroup?
>
>I recently bought 3 old Apple // type computers from a junk store.  Also 
>included were some cards and I got a couple of woking disks.
>
>decription, computer 1:
>-normal apple casing.  Name plate on top cover is a thick brown sticker on a 
>larger shiny aluminum plate. It has an apple picture with a straight rainbow 
>colours to the left of the apple, and the word "apple" on the right.  The 
>keys are dark grey.  There are no open/closed apple keys, no  up/down arrow 
>keys.  In the lower left corner is an unmarked key with a light on it.  This 
>key doesn't seem to do anything. When I press it the light doesn't come on 
>or off, and it does not change text from upper to lower case.  
>It seems to have 48k memory and 2 16k memory expansion boards.  The 
>motherboard is marked "unitron" and the power supply is a gold colour and 
>marked "apple".  It says "apple ][" when I start it up.

Apple ][ (no +, e, or c :-)
Sounds like it has 64K, though the second 16k board confuses me.
It may also have been upgraded to be a ][+ byt the installation of Applesoft
ROMS. (Is the prompt a ">" (Integer Basic- standard on a ][) or a "]"
(Applesoft- standard on a ][+ and later)?

>computer 2:
>-really ugly, thick translucent white casing with a top cover with lines 
>across the top and it doesn't fit very tightly.  No brand name markings on 
>the casing.  The keyboard has light grey and tan keys.  It is similar to the 
>first keyboard, but with the addition of a "function" key on the lower left 
>and a "scroll" key on the lower right. The key with the light on it clicks 
>into an up or down postition and works as a caps lock key.  The power supply 
>is marked "unitron" and the motherboard is green and has no 
>manufacturer markings.  It seems to be 48k and says "apple ][" when started. 

Taiwan-ese clone with pirated Apple ][ ROMs. Either that or a 
][ or ][+ upgraded with lower case and installed in a clone case with clone
KB. (Does the MB say Apple?)

My bet is the first one.

>Computer 3:
>Similar casing design as #2 but no lines across the top and better fit and 
>finish overall.  Grey in colour with no markings.  Brown keyboard, no 
>function or scroll keys.  The caps lock key functions electronically without 
>locking into place.  It also serves as a function key and when pressed with 
>any other key it writes whole BASIC commands that are written on the side of 
>the key.  The power supply is marked "tiger".  It seems to have 64k memory 
>on the mother board and will not function with the 16k memory expansion 
>cards.  It says "OS-21" when it boots up.  There is a whole bunch of wierd 
>video wiring connected to a card and to a horisontal circuit board that 
>connects into a chip plug and onto pins on the motherboard marked "video".  
>Only the standard connector on the motherboard works with my mono monitor.

The KB and case sound a lot like a rather ubiquitous Taiwan-ese clone setup
that was popular in the ][+ era. This is definately an off-shore clone,
similar to the Pineapple/Orange/Banana clones discussed in a recent thread.
The ROMs are probably largely pirated affairs, differing primarily in the
startup message from the monitor.

Essentially, it is an Apple ][+ clone with 64K memory.

As for the video... I assume that the video card is in slot 3. What I believe
you have is an 80-column upgrade, probably a clone of the old Videx card.
The small horizontal card is what was known as an "autoswitcher". Basically,
it let the output of the 80-column board and the motehrboard output both 
be put out by a single port. This port should be an RCA plug at the end of
a cable connected to the horizontal board.

This is a nice thing to have in a ][+ setup. The alternative is to have to
switch the cable between monitor ports when moving between 40 and 80 cols.

>Unidentified cards:
>All three of these computers have a similar card with two wires coming off 
>of it for vidio.  On #1 and 2, it is simply a card that has a standard video 
>connector.  Neither of these works with my zenith monochrome monitor on the 
>40 or 80 column setting, nor do they work on a colour tv.  What are they?

Sounds like 80-column boards. Have you tried a "PR #3" (assuming they are in
slot 3) to activate them first?

>Computers #1 and #2 also have an identical card with no connectors.  One is 
>marked "solartron", the other marked "Z80"  They don't seem to do anything 
>either.

Z-80 coprocessor card. Lets you run CP/M on an Apple ][ or ][+. Both are
probably clones of the Microsoft Softcard.

>Unknown software:
>
>-Something called "apple //  CP/M 44k ver.2.20B"   

CP/M for the above Z-80 boards. 44K refers to the Transient Program Area (TPA)
on a 48K system. If you boot the disk, you should find a program called 
"CPM56.COM" which will install a bootable 56K TPA system on a disk. (For a
64K Apple.)

>-"Diversidos"

DOS 3.3 clone with improvements/speedups.

>-"Applewriter"  - Seems to be something like a really bad wordprocessor?

Can't speak for the quality, but it is a WP.


>I would appreciate any information.
>
>Tom Krahn
>tkrah@king.igs.net 

Hope this helps... <<<John>>>