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Bringing an old friend back to life - Apple IIc

RandomDesign

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Joined
Jul 7, 2022
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16
Location
San Diego, CA
Finally getting to a project I've been meaning to work on for years. I've owned this IIc since it was new in 1986 but have had it stored in boxes for at least 20 years now. Gave it a full teardown/cleaning and checked over the boards. Reassembled and it fired up like a champ.

I'll give it a full retrobrighting one of these days to get rid of the yellowing but great to have it back after so long. Now I have something like 500 floppies to go through and need to order myself a floppy emulator for easier usage. Was planning on getting the Big Mess o Wires one, unless anyone has better suggestions?
 

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I use the FloppyEmu with my Apple IIc (also my first computer at home). You will likely want the Internal/External Drive switcher accessory if you plan on using 5.25" images often.
 
I use the FloppyEmu with my Apple IIc (also my first computer at home). You will likely want the Internal/External Drive switcher accessory if you plan on using 5.25" images often.
I ordered both last night.

If it were my IIc I?would upgrade the rom to the 4X rom upgrade.
I've seen it mentioned but hadn't really looked into it yet. Researching it now. I was also planning on getting one of Ken's modified laptop power supplies on eBay so if I go the 4X route I'll order them at the same time.
 
Congrats! I wish I still had any of the machines from earlier years... you're lucky!

+1 to both suggestions above - the ROM 4X will give you the ability boot from the Floppy Emu, plus some other benefits. Good combo.
 
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Congrats! I wish I still had any of the machines from myyouth

+1 to both suggestions above - the ROM 4X will give you the ability boot from the Floppy Emu
Well the rom 4X upgrade gives many new options including full smartport support to the floppy connector on the back. Also allows the option to boot from the external floppy port. So The floppy emu can work as a hard drive also and you can use total replay or any other 32MB Max prodos hard drive image. Also if you buy yourself a 3.5" unidisk drive (not the apple ii 3.5" drive you typically see with the IIgs, thats a different beast altogether) you can use 3.5" disks on your IIc. I do this all the time when I restore IIc's and most of them are the very first extremely limited 255 Rom version. Let me know if you need any advice or help on that.
 
Well the rom 4X upgrade gives many new options including full smartport support to the floppy connector on the back. Also allows the option to boot from the external floppy port. So The floppy emu can work as a hard drive also and you can use total replay or any other 32MB Max prodos hard drive image. Also if you buy yourself a 3.5" unidisk drive (not the apple ii 3.5" drive you typically see with the IIgs, thats a different beast altogether) you can use 3.5" disks on your IIc. I do this all the time when I restore IIc's and most of them are the very first extremely limited 255 Rom version. Let me know if you need any advice or help on that.
I believe mine is the ROM version 3 as it was from late 1986 after the IIgs came out (which I tried to convince my parents to get instead!) and has the platinum keycaps/no rubber keyboard but I'll have to double check.
 
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Just did a PRINT PEEK (64447) and it returned a 3 so looks like it is the ROM 3 version. From what I understand this should be an easy swap to the ROM 4X?
 
They are all an easy swap in my opinion. for your system just burn the eprom and swap out the current socketed rom.
 
They are all an easy swap in my opinion. for your system just burn the eprom and swap out the current socketed rom.
I don't have an EPROM writer so I ordered one with the 4X ROM already on it. I do have the memory expansion connector on the motherboard so I also ordered one of the IIc RamExpress cards as long as I was shopping as well as one of the modified laptop AC adapters (just for piece of mind).

Made a copy of my original Ultima 1 disk last night to a blank I had and played a little, can't wait to be able to play some of these great games again! Last thing I really want to add is a monitor stand, unfortunately my original Apple monitor stand broke years ago so I'll just pick up something generic for now until I can source an original at a decent price.
 
I don't have an EPROM writer so I ordered one with the 4X ROM already on it. I do have the memory expansion connector on the motherboard so I also ordered one of the IIc RamExpress cards as long as I was shopping as well as one of the modified laptop AC adapters (just for piece of mind).

Made a copy of my original Ultima 1 disk last night to a blank I had and played a little, can't wait to be able to play some of these great games again! Last thing I really want to add is a monitor stand, unfortunately my original Apple monitor stand broke years ago so I'll just pick up something generic for now until I can source an original at a decent price.
Thats great as the 4x rom has built in ram card features too.

And as far as sourcing an original stand at a good price.. dont hold your breath. Find an ugly one and retrobright the plastic hinge snd paint the stand. I have and they looked brand new after.
 
No need to wait -- you can play them right away with this free and almost perfect emulator https://github.com/AppleWin/AppleWin

Game images can be downloaded from numerous places too, for example https://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/images/games/
I've played a few on emulators over the years. I guess I should have said that I was looking forward to playing them on the original system again.

Thats great as the 4x rom has built in ram card features too.

And as far as sourcing an original stand at a good price.. dont hold your breath. Find an ugly one and retrobright the plastic hinge snd paint the stand. I have and they looked brand new after.
Yeah, I had looked around at them so I've seen the prices. I got a generic monitor riser that will fit on Amazon and I can just be patient to source an original stand some day.
 
I guess I should have said that I was looking forward to playing them on the original system again.
The more you mess with retrobrighting (which may well overbright irreversibly the case) and with ROM changes, etc. it will no longer be "the original system". One 2c case opening and dozen of small plastic latches around the case's edges will be broken because the plastic is not only yellowing with aging but becomes more fragile.
 
The more you mess with retrobrighting (which may well overbright irreversibly the case) and with ROM changes, etc. it will no longer be "the original system". One 2c case opening and dozen of small plastic latches around the case's edges will be broken because the plastic is not only yellowing with aging but becomes more fragile.
I guess I'm looking at it in that it's nothing I wouldn't have done to the IIc when I first got it if these things were available then. I plan to use it and enjoy it so being 100% original to the period is less important to me than that. I'll probably give it a full teardown when the memory expansion and drive emu come and give the case parts a gentle cleaning to see how that does before even thinking about retrobright though. It's mostly the monitor, it's yellowed a lot over the years.
 
The more you mess with retrobrighting (which may well overbright irreversibly the case) and with ROM changes, etc. it will no longer be "the original system". One 2c case opening and dozen of small plastic latches around the case's edges will be broken because the plastic is not only yellowing with aging but becomes more fragile.
Ridiculous.. first off retrobrighting is temporary secondly the system is meant to be opened and worked on. 90s macintosh system are as brittle as you describe but Apple II systems are pretty robust. Sure things are getting more fragile with time but they are still safe to work on. I have worked on Tons Of IIc's and repaired many that idiots tried to pry open rather than learn the proper way. There is NOTHING wrong with opening and modifying your system to keep it functional. I honestly have retrobrighted DOZENS and DOZENS of apple II systems. I have brought rusty crap brack from the brink and made it look good as new. If retrobright is not your thing, thats perfectly fine.. But dont tell others its not good because you dont like it. You have to know what you are doing with retrobright, it takes practice to get it right. (i.e. Dont retrobright in the SUN!) I invested in UV LED lamp cabinets and they work like a charm all year long. For me its second nature. I know it sounds like gloating but I dont mean it to be. I just know what I am talking about when it comes to this stuff.

I speak from experience on Apple II restorations : https://photos.app.goo.gl/sv6wJtgv9ujhKc759

Emulators have thier place but nothing compares to real hardware.
 
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Yes, it is ridiculous because of guys like you, that look for info in forums and later on sell it in one form or another on ebay and similar places. I have stopped long ago giving advice in forums like this. You present yourself as a super experts while trying to sell something doubtful, but the opposite reality is visible to many.
 
Yes, it is ridiculous because of guys like you, that look for info in forums and later on sell it in one form or another on ebay and similar places. I have stopped long ago giving advice in forums like this. You present yourself as a super experts while trying to sell something doubtful, but the opposite reality is visible to many.
I guess but I'm not sure exactly what any of this has to do with my thread. This is my original IIc from when I was a kid and he was giving me advice on restoring/upgrading it for my own use. I have no plans to ever sell it, I just want to use and enjoy it again.
 
You do whatever you want with it as its yours and you own it. The only thing that is really frowned upon are the people who steal keyboards from old computers and the like.

Whatever thing you decide to do keep us posted and share photos. Good luck.
 
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