Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ogicse!ucsd!ucbvax!LSUVM.BITNET!$CSD211 From: $CSD211@LSUVM.BITNET (Mark Orr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple /// Message-ID: <9011060142.AA07999@apple.com> Date: 6 Nov 90 01:42:29 GMT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 61 >Subject: Apple /// >With all this talk about Apple ///, I'm curious as to the specifics of the >machine: cpu, memory size, etc... What made it different than the II? >Thanks. >============================================================================= >Joe M. Luzzi >California State University, Fullerton >/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ >Joe_Luzzi.fullerton_cc@qmbridge.calstate.edu space for rent >Joe@csu.fullerton.edu >ljmluzz@calstate.edu >Genie: JM.LUZZI >AOL : JMLUZZI >============================================================================= I have an Apple ///. It's a nice computer. Essentially it's a big heat sink with a computer inside. The specs are as follows: - 2.0 MHz 6502B - 256k RAM (the original had 128k, and memory boards which attach directly to the motherboard have been made that hold 512k) - using the Apple II Emulation disk, a 48k Apple II (with integer or applesoft ROMS) may be emulated. Most software works with the emulation mode, but a few crash. Very rarely, the sound doesn't come out right. The emulation disk that comes with the system does a pretty good job emulating a II+ but some people have modified it to use the ///'s advanced features (i.e. 80 colums, upper and lower case characters, the enhanced high resolution modes, etc., but there is no way to get anymore than 48k) - The /// has two "new" graphic screens. a 140x192 medium res. screen (16 colors) and a 560x192 double high-res. screen (monochrome) - I believe there is an enhanced sound generator (as well as the old II sound hardware). I think it's a single 6-bit oscillator or something (the manual says it's a 64 tone sound generator) - two DB-9 joystick ports - the only thing these were ever used for was to drive the silentype printer (they did make one joystick - the Cursor /// - but from my experience these were essentially reject Joystick II's) - a built in serial port - a DB-15 RGB output w/NTSC out (Apple II programs ran only in black and white) - a disk controller that would daisy chain 4 disk ///'s - 4 Apple /// slots - no bulit in languages (4k ROM, self-test and system monitor only. The /// was a disk based system) - SOS: the Sophisticated Operating System...the precursor to ProDOS. Confusing for the novice to set up...but overall a clean unobtrusive OS. Vitally important that you get SOS and System Utilites upgrades...the older version sometimes damaged disks. Later an enhanced Apple /// plus came out ('84). Lasted less than a year. It added interlaced graphics and reduced chip count. Overall, there were about a quarter of a million Apple ///'s sold. But it would suprise you how much software was written for that machine. ---------------------------- Mark Orr ! $CSD211@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU ! ----------------------------