Apple IIgs ROM/VGC upgrade (was: How limited was the Woz edition?)

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

In article shoppa@alph02.triumf.ca (Tim Shoppa) writes...

>If, say, I had a couple dozen of these ROM 00 "Woz" machines and wanted to
>upgrade them to ROM 01 and the "correct" VGC chip, how would I
>do it?  I would guess that I could burn a new EPROM myself and
>drop it in, but where would I get a new VGC chip without cannibalizing
>a later machine?  A phone inquiry to Alltech got me nowhere fast.

    Technically, or so I've heard, a company must supply replacement
parts (or those recalled for an upgrade?) for a minimum of 10 years.
Apple Computer did this for the Apple IIc ROM 0 upgrade, it lasted
from the Spring of 1985 until the Spring of 1995. Therefore, my guess
is the VGC upgrade will expire very shortly (if it has not already)
and the ROM 01 upgrade should expire sometime around August 1997.

    It should be possible to copy the 128K ROM firmware, although
this would be breaking copyright laws (personally though, if Apple
won't supply the upgrade free or at cost, then I wouldn't lose any
sleep over doing it). As for the VGC, it's a custom part, so other
than Apple Computer, the only other place to find them are on dead
Apple IIgs motherboards or dead Video Overlay Cards (unfortunately,
VGC's were surface mounted on the VOC and ROM 3 boards).

    If the serial number on the bottom of your Apple IIgs begins
with 704 or lower, it required both a new VGC and ROM. 705 to 724
required only the ROM changed. 725 and above required no upgrades.
Of course if your not the original owner, it's quite possible it
has already been upgraded. To check though:

- Faulty VGC chips end with a "-1" or "-A" (i.e. AMI 344S0046-1). 
  It's easy to identify one in operation, you'll see flashing and  
  stray bits of pink inbetween 80 columns text characters (e.g.
  AppleWorks Classic or ProTERM) and on any monochrome Double-Hi-
  Res screen (e.g. System 1 and 2 - MouseDesk/Apple II Desktop, 
  or the old B&W Tour of the Apple IIgs).

- The original ROM 00 ends with a "-A" (342-0077-A), and you will
  notice the copyright only extend to 1986 ((c) Apple 78,81,83,86).
  It is also easy to identify when using a IIgs, it will not report
  it's ROM revision or a copyright notice on the lower-half of the
  screen. You'll just see it identify itself as "Apple IIgs", much
  like older Apple II's have done in the past. Attempting to run
  System 4.0 through 6.0.1 (any version of GS/OS) will display a
  notice that you need to upgrade too.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca