Re: Apple ][ identification (follow up)

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

jsnospam@cimmeri.com wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
>    This is a follow up to the Jan 28 thread regarding fake Apple II's
> on ebay, and what constitutes a "real" ][.   Since then, I've been
> paying attention to Apple ][ sales, and can add some more info to this
> discussion on ][ revisions.
>
>     I've been seeing some apparently genuine late serial # ]['s that
> have an original flat power light, as well as even some that have a
> very low A2S2 number.    Case in point:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=180104024780
>
>    These oddball units appear to demonstrate that a sloppy transition
> period existed in which parts were freely shared between the ][ and ]
> [+ from the factory.   Note that this one though having a low A2S2 #,
> still has an early rev motherboard... so I'm still skeptical that
> late ]['s came from the factory with the later rev ][+ mobos..
> although I can't rule it out.

I think you'll find that for much of 1980, at least, both ]['s and
][+'s were being shipped by Apple for which the *only* differences
were the ROMs, nameplates, and labels.

There was no "cutover" from ][ to ][+, just a market-driven transition
in the configuration of essentially the same machines.

Both machines could be ordered/bought for the same price.

There was, as always, some "old stock" in the pipeline, but by
late 1980, most volume dealers were selling machines made just
a few months earlier, all rev. 7 main boards, whether ]['s or
][+'s.

By mid-1981, the market had pretty well chosen the ][+ configuration
over the ][.

It would be good to know the actual shipment dates and numbers, but
I'm not holding my breath.

-michael

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