Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!sdcsvax!ucbvax!DMZRZU71.BITNET!mat6013 From: mat6013@DMZRZU71.BITNET Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: ][+ to //gs Message-ID: <8707090658.aa04619@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA> Date: Wed, 15-Jul-87 01:42:15 EDT Article-I.D.: SMOKE.8707090658.aa04619 Posted: Wed Jul 15 01:42:15 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jul-87 02:33:48 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: world Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 42 ad 1): Before buying my Apple //gs I heavily testet one lend at a local dealer over a weekend and therefore also plugged in my old two disk ][ drives connected to a disk ][ controller (all original from Apple) card in slot 6 and it worked without any problems. The only noticeable difference results from the new features implemented in the ROM routines of the buildin 5.25" controller. It has the ability to figure out if there is any disk in the drive and will otherwise stop booting like the Apple //c. (This causes another problem, but I'll send out an extra letter on that later.) So the system has the ability to scan the bootable devices on a cold start and use a 3.5" disk located in slot 5 (external or via the IWM) when there's no disk in your 5.25" drive. (With a disk ][ controller, it will try to read the boot sector forever (or until the fuse burns) and you have to press RESET in order to give the other drive(s) a chance.) ad 3): I'm using Orange Micro's Grappler+ interface card without any problems and I like it all in all. (But I think I'm going to switch to the Prograppler+ in the near future.) ad 4): The 16 pin DIL joystick connector is really there but it lies in front of the slots far away from the backplane and not easily accessible if you have a card in slot 4. I recommend the more comfortable and easier to use 9 pin Apple //e like connector at the back. It's a simple matter to exchange the plug on your old joystick but beware that the pull down resistors (of about 500-1000 Ohm between the TTL inputs and ground) needed by the active closed push buttons are sometimes hidden in the plug in order to reduce the number of the wires in the joystick cable by one. Best you carefully open the old one before discarding it. PS to Asaf Sokolowski (and whom it may interest): I also tested an original Microsoft Softcard and it failed to work flawlessly, i.e. most of the time I could boot CP/M but within several minutes junk appeared on the screen and the system hung. This was not exactly reproduceable, but happened recardless of the settings for the system speed and the 80 column card. Matthias Kapffer