Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!MTUS5.BITNET!SWGRAHAM
From: SWGRAHAM@MTUS5.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: extra memory for the IIc
Message-ID: <8803211110.aa19034@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>
Date: 21 Mar 88 00:47:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 72

Date: 20 March 1988, 19:45:09 EST
From: SWGRAHAM at MTUS5
To:   INFO-APPLE at BRL.ARPA

Subject:      extra memory for the IIc

Doug Reeder wrote:

>How much does it cost to get that memory expansion to the IIc, and how
>useful is it?  Is it easy to use from your own programs?

Price:
Applied Engineering makes a line of memory expansion cards for the IIc.
Here are some prices that are quoted from the Preferred Computing ad on the
inside cover of the March 1988 ^Call-A.P.P.L.E^:

      Ultra 1              256K                $169
       Memory only         512K                $229
-------------------------------------------------------------
      Ultra 2              256K                $229
       Memory & Clock      512K                $289
                           1Meg                $409
-------------------------------------------------------------
      Ultra 3              256K                $279
       Memory, Clock,      512K                $339
       & CP/M              1Meg                $459


Checkmate also makes a line of memory cards for the IIc. Their prices are about
the same.


Usefulness:
The easiest way to use memory expansion is as a RAM-disk. I bought the 512K
Ultra I about a year ago, and I've been very happy with it. A 512K RAM disk
gives you a ProDos volume of 992 blocks. I can load that up with AppleWorks,
Basic.System, and a few utility programs, and still have about 500 blocks of
memory.

There are two ways to use the memory expansion cards with Appleworks. One way is
to use the extra memory as an expanded desktop. With a 512K card, you can get a
401K desktop. A second method (and this is the method I prefer) is to load all
of AppleWorks into /RAM. This gives you a normal size desktop, but it eliminates
the need for any disk-swapping. AppleWorks 1.1 and 1.2 can be loaded into /RAM
without any modifications. AppleWorks 2.0 does not recognize the AE cards; it
recognizes only cards that follow a certain protocol developed by Apple.
However, Version 2.0 can be patched so that it does recognize the AE cards. A
patch program appears on the Beagle Bros Super-Macroworks disk.


As for using the expansion card in your own programs: again, the easiest way is
via /RAM. You can read and write to /RAM just as you can to any other ProDos
volume. Moreover, operations on /RAM are much faster and much quieter than
operations on a floppy disk.

I'm not an expert on it, but I understand that you can acess the memory
expansion card directly with some judicious bank-switching.


Installation:
AE says that if you can change a light-bulb, you can install one of their cards.
Don't beleive it. If you are fairly good with electronic hardware, you can
probably install it yourself. If you're a ten-thumbed klutz like me, you should
take it to your local technician and pay him ( or her ) to install it.


A serious disclaimer: I have no official relation to Applied Engineering or
Beagle Bros; I'm only a satisfied customer.


Sid Graham
swgraham@mtus5.bitnet