MS CP/M for Apple2

[louiss@gate.net (Louis Schulman)]

For anyone who might be in a similar situation:

Several months ago I posted the following, with the resulting helpful comments
(similar responses were received from several others):

*From: ekblaw@vnet.ibm.com   (Rick Ekblaw)
*Newsgroups: comp.os.cpm
*Subject: Re: Apple//e Microsoft Softcard
*Date: 16 Feb 1996 13:38:31 GMT
*Message-ID: <4g21cn$vrr@locutus.rchland.ibm.com>
*References: <4fu2rr$18is@news.gate.net>
*Reply-To: ekblaw@vnet.ibm.com

*In <4fu2rr$18is@news.gate.net>, louiss@gate.net         (Louis Schulman) writes:
*>I have an Apple//e with a Microsoft Z80 Softcard.  I also have a disk with Microsoft
*>cp/m 2.20b.  However, the software can't find the card.  Any suggestions?
*>
*>My feeling is that the card may be a newer version than the software supports.  What's
*>the last version of Microsoft cp/m?  Where can I get a copy?

**Fuzzy memory warning*  I think that the last version of Microsoft CP/M for the
*Apple was 2.23 (which gave you roughly a 60K TPA instead of the roughly 56K
*TPA in the 2.20b version).  However, I have never heard of a true Microsoft
*Softcard that could not run version 2.20b.  If your card is not a clone, it might
*have failed.  I'm sure that I have a 2.23 disk in the attic (the question, of course,
*is *where*, in which box, etc.).  Check with your nearest Apple club to see if
*someone has a Softcard setup such that they could help you check out your
*card and diskette.

*Rick Ekblaw

People also pointed out that there existed the Premium Softcard//e, which used the aux
slot, and which required v.2.26 of the software.

It in fact turns out that my first suspicion was right.  There is another card, which 
came out about 1984, called the CATS Softcard or Softcard II, which goes in a 
regular slot and uses v. 2.28b (64k).  This is the card I have, and only v. 2.28 will
activate it.

Version 2.28 has some minor but cute innovations.  At different times, the cursor
changes to an apple, or an arrow pointing up.  This card (which uses a Z80B) is also
much faster.

The down side seems to be that overlays written for the original softcard, for example for
the IMP communications program, don't work.  If anyone is aware of modified overlays to
work specifically with this card I would be interested.

Anyway, thought you might like to know.

Louis  louiss@gate.net