Re: Seeking information on the Apple II "j-plus" model

["Hidehiko Ogata" <hog@aqu.bekkoame.ne.jp>]

Bryan Villados wrote:

> I'm currently in the early stages of writing an article on Apple collecting
> and the Japanese. One of the areas I'm lacking information big-time is the
> Apple II j-plus model.  8< snip >8

Well, I can only provide my feeble recollections (never had a J-Plus):

It had Kana's (I *think* it was actually Hiragana) crammed into the
upper region of ASCII table (a common way to "support" the language back
then), so the char ROM was definitely different; I suppose the kernel
ROM was too (I've heard it caused endless incompatibility problems with
"import" softwares).  There were some Kanji applications sold separately,
but the technology of Kanji processing itself was really immature then.

So it fell short on both counts... it couldn't take full advantage of
the rich software base of A2 (unless you swap ROM's and lose localized
features), nor it could process our native tongue adequately.

Regarding the price... over here, the home micro had always been an
expensive hobbyists' toy, the "import" models about four times moreso
(certainly up until the big "yen launch" in '85).  So I suppose those
gullible guys paying big bucks for II's are partly suffering from rosy
retrospections, and partly satisfying unfulfilled tech-lust of yore.

(BTW there is a wonderful place in Akihabara, Tokyo who still sells IIgs
at 1200yen (~10U$D) apiece.  So there *are* some sane people over here,
you see. ;)
-- 
  //  }{idehiko ()gata  "War is over, if you want it"
\X/    Amiga since '86                 - John Lennon