Re: Help with Apple IIgs

[casa@unm.edu (Jim Pittman)]

Re:

> Subject: Re: Help with Apple IIgs       Thu, 30 May 1996 23:35:04
> From: ggonter@together.net (Geof Gonter)
> Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Organization: together.net
> 
> In article <4oa6i7$21j@ratty.wolfe.net>, secti@rossnet.com wrote:
> > Where would I look to find out if the GS I've just aquired is
> > a rom 1 or a rom 3?
> 
> When you boot up the ROM version of your computer shows up on top
> of all the information in the initial startup screen.
> 
>   ---Geof Gonter--- In the shadow of Vermont's Mount Mansfield.

Not quite true. Actually, the initial screens of the ROM 00, ROM 01
and ROM 3 machines look more like this:

              ORIGINAL IIGS            UPGRADED IIGS
               ("ROM 00")                ("ROM 01")
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TOP OF         Apple IIgs               Apple IIgs
SCREEN

MIDDLE OF
SCREEN         (nothing)      Copyright Apple Computer, Inc. 1977-1987
                                      All Rights Reserved

BOTTOM OF      (nothing)               ROM Version 01
SCREEN

The last Apple IIGS (the "1-megabyte" or "ROM 3" machine) screen says
the same as the ROM 01 except the copyright dates are 1977-1989 and
the ROM version is given as "ROM Version 3" -- it is not "03".

There was no ROM 02 or ROM 2. (By the way, the "Mark Twain" prototype
that I saw had exactly the same screen as the ROM 3 machine. Possibly
the often used "ROM 4" nomenclature is mostly wishful thinking.)

If you start up a IIGS and all it says is "Apple IIgs" then you have
the original ROM. You may be able to upgrade it to a ROM 01 by getting
a newer ROM; they may still be available from Alltech for about $40. If
you have a REALLY old Apple IIGS you'll need a new video chip too.

- Jim Pittman - University of New Mexico - casa@unm.edu