Re: Apple III info wanted

[gbohling@herbie.unl.edu (Tiresias)]

Shawn T Beattie (sbeattie@cs.iastate.edu) wrote:
:>Could someone post some technical details of the Apple III series?  Like
:>CPU type/speed, display modes, # of colors..and any other interesting
:>tidbits.

:>-Shawn
:>(posted using Access III on an Apple III)

Here is some info from the Apple III Owner's guide and observations
from my recently acquired III..

CPU Architecture
"Address enhanced 6502 instruction set"
<more software info on systems calls and stuff...>

"Weight: 26 pounds (11.8kg)"
<had to throw that one in as I scan thru the appendix, it is an anchor..>

"Processor: Based on the 6502B microprocessor, with extended addressing
	    capability
 Clock Speed: 2 MHz peak, 1.4 MHz average
 Main Memory: 128k (98,304) eight-bit bytes [RAM written out]"
<The machine I have has been expanded to 256k allegedly. So says the keyboard>

"Screen: Three text modes:
		40X24, black and white, normal and inverse
		80X24, black and white, normal and inverse
		40X24, 16 color, foreground and background
	 [note about software character sets]

	 Four graphics modes:
		280X192, black and white
		280X192, 16 color, foreground and background
		140X192, full 16 color
		560X192, black and white

Video Output: RCA phono connector for NTSC black and white composite video.
	      DB-15 type connector for:
		NTSC black and white composite video
		NTSC color composite video
		RGB pure video
		Composite sync signal
		+5, -5, +12, -12 volt power supplies

Audio Output: Built in 2 inch speaker
	      Miniature phone-tip jack on back of Apple III
	      Three different audio generators:
		64 level audio port (6-bit DAC)
		One-bit square-wave generator
		Fixed-frequency "beep" generator

Serial I/O: RS-232C compatible, DB-25 female connector

"
(above quotes are copyright 1981 Apple Computer)

It also has 4 expansion slots, and emulation software for a 48k II+

Now some of my own questions :)
I got my apple III at a surplus auction.. cpu, an extra external disk III
a Monitor III <green composite, form-fits the cpu> and a stack of software
<Operating software, AppleWriter III, VisiCalc III, other business related
stuff>.. I paid $30.. I probably got $30 worth of entertainment out of it
already, so... :)
Anyway, I am in need of a terminal program for this beast.  A friend of mine
while back on spring break gave me a ProDOS disk with something called
Aero I think, which I could not get to run either natively or in II+ emulation.
It may have just been a bad disk.. This is my only apple computer so I have
little knowledge of what to try.  I plaid around with the .RS232 driver,
and managed to get the machine to send commands to my USR 14.4k from BASIC.
However, I have not been able to sucessfully READ from the driver.  The only
BASIC command documented to do such is INPUT#, apparently there is no GET#
command in the version of Business Basic I have.. at any rate, the machine
locks up as it tries to read from the device.. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, I was just wondering if anyone ever bothered to update the emulation
program to be more than a 48k II+? Doesn't seem like too big a stretch to
me..

I'll let you all mull this over :)
If anyone needs any additional information on the machine, the Owner's Guide
has pinouts and things; ask and I'll post more.
-tiR