• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

how to tell a rom version without turning on a apple iigs

J

jeff0172

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2012
Messages
197
Location
ferndale,michigan
is there any way to tell what rom it is by just looking at the mobo? i know the rom 3 has more ram but does anyone know the mobo number for a rom 3?
 
jeff0172 said:
is there any way to tell what rom it is by just looking at the mobo? i know the rom 3 has more ram but does anyone know the mobo number for a rom 3?
Click to expand...
ROM3 has different physical layout. ROM0 and ROM1 cannot be easily distinguished without powering the unit since a lot of ROM0 were upgraded to ROM1 (ROM chip swap, and maybe VGC too) You can probably find out the part number of ROM chips for ROM0 and ROM1 and look it up that way. Google is your friend.
 
jeff0172 said:
is there any way to tell what rom it is by just looking at the mobo? i know the rom 3 has more ram but does anyone know the mobo number for a rom 3?
Click to expand...

Yeah, dorkbert is right, different board layout, easiest thing that even a novice can spot is the LACK of the "KEYBOARD" solder pads near mid-front of the board on ROM3 boards.

ROM0 and ROM1 have solder pads for a //e's keyboard, for the fairly rare "//e to IIgs upgrade" apple sold.
 
Last edited:
RWallmow said:
ROM0 and ROM1 have solder pads for a //e's keyboard, for the fairly rare "//e to IIgs upgrade" apple sold.
Click to expand...
The upgrade kits are considered uncommon today because the cost of the upgrade kit was nearly that of a new IIGS, so very few people bother to upgrade their IIe. Earlier production of board in IIGS'es were common with the board in the upgrade kits, as evident by a large number of ROM0/ROM1 IIGS with IIe keyboard header populated. After Apple cease production of the upgrade kit, boards for ROM1 IIGS no longer populate the IIe keyboard header, though the solder pads are still present.
 
dorkbert said:
The upgrade kits are considered uncommon today because the cost of the upgrade kit was nearly that of a new IIGS, so very few people bother to upgrade their IIe. Earlier production of board in IIGS'es were common with the board in the upgrade kits, as evident by a large number of ROM0/ROM1 IIGS with IIe keyboard header populated. After Apple cease production of the upgrade kit, boards for ROM1 IIGS no longer populate the IIe keyboard header, though the solder pads are still present.
Click to expand...

anyway i can upgrade my rom1 to a rom3? or would it just be cheaper to buy a rom 3 mobo? i found a few rom 3 mobos on ebay but they all want 100.00+ for them and they are as-is so as-is on ebay basicly means broken lol
 
jeff0172 said:
anyway i can upgrade my rom1 to a rom3? or would it just be cheaper to buy a rom 3 mobo? i found a few rom 3 mobos on ebay but they all want 100.00+ for them and they are as-is so as-is on ebay basicly means broken lol
Click to expand...
No. ROM3 boards are laid out differently. The link I posted has pics of both ROM0/1 and ROM3. As-is doesn't mean broken, it means people don't want to deal with returns. "Unknown" is the one that sets off alarms in my head...
You probably want to stay with ROM1 anyways since it has less compatibility issues with software.
 
Last edited:
dorkbert said:
....You probably want to stay with ROM1 anyways since it has less compatibility issues with software.
Click to expand...
Agreed, newer ROMS are not always better ROMS, it depends on your end plans.....

If your goals are running older classic Apple II titles, stick with a ROM1/0 they are more compatible.
If your goal is running only GSOS and GSOS apps, then ROM3 may be your best bet due to more GSOS routines in ROM, and more RAM.

Even if your goal is GSOS only, the cost of a ROM3 board kind of negates the benefits of it, you can still do all the GSOS stuff on a ROM0/1, just with a bit less RAM on the board (you can still add more RAM to either). 4MB is really enough for just about anything that will run on a IIgs, and you can get up to that much on ROM0/1 systems just as easily as a ROM3 (with a 4mb upgrade card, a ROM0/1 will have 4.25mb and a ROM3 would have 5mb).
 
RWallmow said:
Agreed, newer ROMS are not always better ROMS, it depends on your end plans.....

If your goals are running older classic Apple II titles, stick with a ROM1/0 they are more compatible.
If your goal is running only GSOS and GSOS apps, then ROM3 may be your best bet due to more GSOS routines in ROM, and more RAM.

Even if your goal is GSOS only, the cost of a ROM3 board kind of negates the benefits of it, you can still do all the GSOS stuff on a ROM0/1, just with a bit less RAM on the board (you can still add more RAM to either). 4MB is really enough for just about anything that will run on a IIgs, and you can get up to that much on ROM0/1 systems just as easily as a ROM3 (with a 4mb upgrade card, a ROM0/1 will have 4.25mb and a ROM3 would have 5mb).
Click to expand...

i have seen a couple of 4mb cards but they are to pricey could i just mod my current one with 1mb ram simms?
 
jeff0172 said:
i have seen a couple of 4mb cards but they are to pricey could i just mod my current one with 1mb ram simms?
Click to expand...

Here is a page of someone who has done just that. I don't know your level of soldering experience so I cant say if that would be something you could undertake or not. If you are not comfortable with a soldering iron the only EASILY found option is the card from Briel Computers, you can buy it without RAM to save some money if you have a stock of 1mb 30pin simms already.
 
dorkbert said:
You probably want to stay with ROM1 anyways since it has less compatibility issues with software.
Click to expand...
What compatibility issues do you speak of? I've been using the ROM03 for ages and the only software I've had issues with is Skate or Die and Shufflepuck Cafe. The ROM03 has more built-in RAM and is faster with GS/OS so unless playing these 2 games is the deal-breaker, I see the ROM03 as the better option.
 
RWallmow said:
Here is a page of someone who has done just that. I don't know your level of soldering experience so I cant say if that would be something you could undertake or not. If you are not comfortable with a soldering iron the only EASILY found option is the card from Briel Computers, you can buy it without RAM to save some money if you have a stock of 1mb 30pin simms already.
Click to expand...

i am fine with soldering i have been in the rc hobby for 9 years now witch requires me to solder almost everyday
 
TanruNomad said:
What compatibility issues do you speak of? I've been using the ROM03 for ages and the only software I've had issues with is Skate or Die and Shufflepuck Cafe. The ROM03 has more built-in RAM and is faster with GS/OS so unless playing these 2 games is the deal-breaker, I see the ROM03 as the better option.
Click to expand...

Skate or die would have done it for me, I loved that game back in the day ;-)

ROM3 may be the better option for many people, however its the more costly option for the OP since he has a ROM1 already. For him it would require buying a whole new ROM3 system, or at least a ROM3 motherboard, both of which would be significant costs.

For me, the slightly faster GSOS loads (and we are probably talking milliseconds difference loading from CFFA like mine), and 768k extra ram are not worth it for me price wise, unless someone wants to GIVE me a ROM3 board ;-)
 
jeff0172 said:
i am fine with soldering i have been in the rc hobby for 9 years now witch requires me to solder almost everyday
Click to expand...

Then you can probably undertake the 4mb upgrade to your existing 256kb/1mb card. Would save yourself some money since you could build this mostly just for the cost of the SIMMS.
 
RWallmow said:
Then you can probably undertake the 4mb upgrade to your existing 256kb/1mb card. Would save yourself some money since you could build this mostly just for the cost of the SIMMS.
Click to expand...

yup the only problem no is that he didnt post a wireing diagram i see that he added some 22awg wire to the card
 
jeff0172 said:
think these would work?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/4X256-Dram-...230?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35bef2169e
Click to expand...

Considering you would need 4 sets to get to 4mb, you would be looking at $80, at that price I would just spend $89 for a fully populated 4mb card from Briel Computers.

It wouldn't make much sense to build/hack your own card if you don't have the RAM lying around already, if you are having to BUY ram for this project, just spend the extra $9 and buy the purpose built 4mb card. You can probably sell your old 1mb card to cover the price difference, plus some extra even.

EDIT: I should also add, I am not sure those would work anyways, I don't recall the chip layout you need for the IIgs card.

EDIT2: If you are planning to spend that kind of money, wouldn't you rather it go to a fellow member of this forum(VBRIEL) rather than some "anonymous" ebay seller..
 
Last edited:
ya i will just do that then becuase some 4mb ae cards are going for 200.00+ on ebay saves me 120.00 plus i like how you can swap the ram cards on his
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top