Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Path: utzoo!utgpu!nemeth
From: nemeth@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Gabe Nemeth)
Subject: Re: Shareware Mac
Message-ID: <1989Nov30.031136.14692@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
References: <641@nixpbe.UUCP> <111500070@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <5676@umd5.umd.edu> <3870@netmbx.UUCP> <5694@umd5.umd.edu>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 03:11:36 GMT

In article <5694@umd5.umd.edu> matthews@umd5.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) writes:
>In article <3870@netmbx.UUCP> hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) writes:
>>>I kinda hope that this shareware Mac thing specifically checks for illegal ROMs.
>>How?
>>I suspect Pit to read in the ROMs from a standard ROM cartridge (this
>>simple thing with 2 sockets and a 7400 that plugs to the cartridge port
>>and offers 128 KBytes of ROM); it would be impossible to tell original
>>chips from copies in EPROM.
>>But it would leave responsibility to the user; the author of the
>>software does not suggest the user to do anything illeagal...
>>
>>hase
>>-- 
>>Hartmut Semken, Lupsteiner Weg 67, 1000 Berlin 37 hase@netmbx.UUCP
>
>'Impossible' is a word best left out of computer hacker's works.  Dave Small
>checks for illegal ROMs/EPROMs in  his Spectre 128 and Spectre GCR cartridges.
>ROMs and EPROMS aren't EXACTLY the same, in some manner.  Perhaps he tests the
>speed of retrieval.  Perhaps he tests some sort of electrical property, such
>as resistance or somesuch (I know nothing about this, but it's just an idea).
>
>If the author of the software invites people to illegally copy ROMs or whatnot,
>then 99 times out of 100, the user will copy the ROMs.  Especially if you HAVE
>to.
>
>Mike

The LEGAL "ROMS" my mac uses are part number 23512 - this is a windowless
eprom (OTP) version of the 27512.  Therefore it IS an eprom physically but
since you can't erase it it is a rom (prom).  Dave small inverts a couple
of lines on his cartridge to deter people from making their own and
copying his software (or using the magic sac!).  I guess his software
re-inverts the inverted data as it is read off the cartridge.
/leonard