Subject: Re: GS System Rom 01 Path: lobby!newstf02.news.aol.com!audrey03.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Lines: 337 NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder06.news.aol.com X-Admin: news@aol.com Date: 29 Jul 1999 08:49:33 GMT References: Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Message-ID: <19990729044933.13063.00002787@ng-ck1.aol.com> "Randy Herx" wrote: >I was an avid Apple II+ & file://e fan back in the 80s. I never had the >money to buy a GS. I recently aquired one through ebay. I notice that my >gs has the System 01 ROM.. I have heard bad things about the system 1 rom >with software compatabilty issues. I would like to upgrade to the system 3 >rom. Could someone tell me if I really need to do this and where I might >purchase it from. I am also interested in obtaining Transwarp GS card. As >I am a newbie to the GS, I would really appreciate any help... They are pretty much even. There are some demos that don't work on the ROM 3, but most of the major ones have been rewritten for the ROM 3 as well. Today, almost anything that runs on a ROM 01 will also work on a ROM 3. The ROM 3 is a little more refined. It has 1MB of memory on the motherboard. However, both the ROM 3 and the ROM 01 can be expanded to 16MB of combined RAM/ROM banks (8MB RAM & 8MB ROM) via the memory expansion slot. It is just that the 1MB of RAM on the ROM 3 gives it a head start. Sound is a little cleaner in the ROM 3. The ROM 3 lets you use the numeric keypad as a mouse without extra software. ;-) (You have to activate this with a key sequence). The ROM 3 is better at conserving slots. Under GS/OS (GNO/ME too), the mouse is not deactivated if you plug a card into slot 4 and use it. You see, in IIe emulation mode, the IIGS maps the functions of the ports to the slots so normally if you use a slot, you lose a port. When using IIGS software, in many cases, you can use both a card and its corresponding slot. It is only IIe software that's the bugger in these cases. One exception is slot 4 on the ROM 01. If you plug a card into this one and activate the slot, you lose the mouse EVEN UNDER IIGS SOFTWARE! The ROM 3 fixes this problem and lets you use a card in slot 4 and still have the mouse activated when using IIGS software. The TransWarp GS card is only available used. I certainly recommend getting one, although expect to pay more than the IIGS itself...the card is rare. Once had, it is a simple matter to upgrade the card and double its speed (thus quadrupling the IIGS native Mhz rather than just doubling it). <> -EOF-