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Re: Just curious . . .
rogtha@delphi.com wrote:
: What was the standard RAM on original Apple II's? An old magazine ad I
: found said 16K, but mine has 48K. Was it an upgrade?
As previously noted, 4k seems to have been standard. To use hi-res
graphics, you need at least 16k; ditto for DOS. To use DOS AND hi-res
graphics, better get 32k. The system maxes out at 48k. As I recall, at
the end of each physical row of RAM chips inside the case is a jumper
block looking a lot like a 14-pin chip, which configures the row to
whatever kind of RAM you have installed. These days, the most common
configuration seems to be 3x16k, I think.
Once you've maxed that out, then you remove one of the chips, and install
a Language System board in Slot 0, connecting the pigtail to the now-empty
socket on the board. This gives you an additional 16k of bank-switched
RAM in the BASIC ROM memory area, $D000-$FFFF, for a total of 64k in
the machine. Depending on your ROM configuration (i.e. whether you have a
][ or a ][+), the Language System could be loaded with Applesoft, Integer
BASIC, PASCAL, or Super PILOT...or any other desired language. Programs
which did not need Applesoft to run could use the upper 16k for program or
data storage, and some utilities allow you to stick DOS up there. Oh, and
the last version of GPLE is language-card resident.
You MUST have the language card installed to run ProDOS, since that is
also where ProDOS lives. This is also how you use ProDOS with Integer
BASIC: by running ProDOS on an Apple ][ with Integer BASIC in ROM.
If you have a ][e, then the machine comes stock with the whole 64k, which
is why Slot #0 is missing. But the ][e has that 80-column slot, and you
can stick lots 'o memory in there!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
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