Re: Apple //c Upgrade info needed

[guertinp@IRO.UMontreal.CA (Paul Guertin)]

In article <2vrfsj$3op@carroll1.cc.edu>,
rhiggins@carroll1.cc.edu (Ron Higgins) writes:
>
>I've borrowed an old Apple //c from a friend and can only get it to
>communicate at 300 baud.  I know that the old Apple //c's had a serial port
>problem.
>
>Is the serial port update from Apple a free update and what do I need to
>tell the service center when I take it in?

As of a few months ago, Apple still offers the upgrade, and it's still
free. Your dealer, however, may not believe this, in which case you
can use the magic word "ODL660", which is the Apple reference number
for the upgrade. Or you can ask your dealer to call (800) SOS-APPL.
If your dealer does it by the book, you'll need a proof of purchase
of a high-speed modem (photocopied invoice is fine).

>At the same time I might as well get it upgraded to handle the 3.5" UniDisk
>if that update is free as well.

When you get your //c back, it will be UniDisk-aware too. The serial
port upgrade is in fact a whole motherboard swap. It fixes the serial
port and updates the ROMs to the latest version (and maybe does
other things as well).

When I upgraded my //c, I had to make three trips to the dealer. The
first time, the new motherboard had a problem and the //c would lock
up when it got too hot. The second time, none of the shift keys
worked. Third time was OK. I guess the lesson is that few technicians
know anything about the //c anymore (to say nothing of salespeople:
they had never seen a "Macintosh //c" before), and it doesn't hurt
to double-check their work.

Paul Guertin
guertinp@iro.umontreal.ca