Re: couple of questions

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

In article <Dsu2tn.Dry@news.hawaii.edu>,
Galen Tatsuo Komatsu <gkomatsu@Hawaii.Edu> wrote:
> but the cards:  extended 80-column, SSC, and I/O Controller.  Now my
> questions...
> 
> one.  Other than the reduction in size, were there any other differences
>    between the original extended80 (with the tapered end) and the newer
>    business-card sized one (i.e. features, bug fixes)

None at all.  They removed the jumper which is used to enable double
hi-res graphics mode (it is permanently enabled).

> Also, any particular reason why the middle IC is socketed?

None that I know of.  Possibly due to it being more likely to blow up?

> two.  What plugs into the I/O controller?

Almost certainly a 5.25" drive (DuoDisk or UniDisk), if it has a single
cable going to a DB-19 connector.  To be absolutely sure, find out
what part number is on the board.  (I don't have one of these cards,
so I can't tell you what it is.)

> Anything else?  (...going out on a limb, the 400k Mac drive I have sitting
> on the desk? *cross fingers* =^)

Nope.  The 5.25" controller works with 5.25" drives only.  Apple made
two 3.5" controllers: the "Liron" card for the UniDisk 3.5 only, and
the "SuperDrive" card, which supports the UniDisk 3.5, Apple 3.5 Drive
and SuperDrive.

Apple never made a card which allows the Mac 400K or original Mac 800K
drive to be used on an Apple II, but these drives are supported by the
third party "Universal Disk Controller", which also works with an
Apple 3.5 Drive and 5.25" drives.  (You can only connect a total of
two drives to this card.)

> three.  What external keyboards are/were available for the //e.

I've never encountered one.  I would expect that an external keyboard
would have to be connected to the internal keyboard connector, so it
would require a rather large ribbon cable.

> five.  Two trains leave New York at the same time, one going north at
>        60 mph, the other south at....

The one in the braces.  He done it.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand