IIc+ compatibility

[LaPorta]

I've got the last of the line: a IIc+. I am thinking of selling off my remaining IIes, as I never use them. That would leave me with a II+, IIgs, and IIc+. To be completely honest, I basically never use any of them (I'm more a Mac guy), but on the off chance that I need to use IIe type software, will the IIc run this stuff with no issues? If all else failed, I have an LC with a IIe card, but that's another story...

 

[joshc]

I can't answer the main question as I'm not very knowldgeable about Apple II stuff, I'm also a Mac person. @mg.man might know.

If all else failed, I have an LC with a IIe card, but that's another story...

Go on...

 

[LaPorta]

Hah, just that I've got a good-working IIe card that I have recapped. I think I have it currently in my LCII, of which I still need to have the LC topper recapped. I will need to re-cap it again (my early days when I didn't do surface mount caps yet), so there are radials jammed in there that barely clear the LCII board. I was fortunate to have snagged it from my middle school when I was about 20 (I went back to visit). This was around 2003 or so, and the computer teacher was a good friend of mine. I got it boxed with manuals and the cable. Never knew it would be so highly sought after!

 

[joshc]

Ah, yeah, that's neat. I got lucky and found a IIe card in an eBay auction sold as something else, but I knew what it was. It wasn't expensive. For that reason I'm not adding any Apple IIs to my collection, the IIe PDS card is enough for me.

 

[LaPorta]

Every II-anything that I have was all free from my school throwing them out 20+ years ago. They have basically just sat, doing nothing. I am out of space, and they need to move on!

 

[dcr]

To be completely honest, I basically never use any of them (I'm more a Mac guy), but on the off chance that I need to use IIe type software, will the IIc run this stuff with no issues?

I don't know the answer either but, if you are interested in emulation, I've found that Virtual ][ works really well for Apple IIe stuff.

 

[NJRoadfan]

IIc+ should be compatible with all 8-bit software. The built-in accelerator can be disabled on boot if needed. The internal drive is a 3.5", while most all 8-bit Apple II software came on 5.25", so you'll need an external floppy or emulator. Slot mapping for the onboard peripherals is the same as the memory expansion IIc.

Slot 1: Printer Port
Slot 2: Modem Port
Slot 3: 80col card
Slot 4: Memory Expansion Card ("slinky" card)
Slot 5: SmartPort (3.5 disks and smartport drives map here)
Slot 6: 5.25" Disk II
Slot 7: Mouse Port

The only thing you give up on the IIe is expansion card capability. Unless you need something that isn't the above, you aren't missing anything.

 

[mg.man]

FWIW, the problem I have with anything "II" is the footprint...

3 guesses where my IIe card lives... Oh, and that Trinitron rocks!

 

[volvo242gt]

IIc+ will run anything that an enhanced //e or a //c runs. Just much quicker, unless you boot it in normal speed mode.

@mg.man That's one of the reasons why I've decided to rehome mine. The IIgs is less bulky. Still have the drives, but, with one of the AE or MDIdeas Conserver fan units, at least the 3.5" drives can sit between the monitor and the machine.

-J

 

[LaPorta]

Got two or three good Apple 5.25 drives, so I am all good on the media compatibility. Hopefully some oof the media still work...

I appreciate the input; I won't hesitate to sell the IIes now.

 

[dcr]

FWIW, the problem I have with anything "II" is the footprint...
View attachment 41116

With a keyboard and mouse on the CC, the footprint isn't that big of a difference.

 

[Gorgonops]

With a keyboard and mouse on the CC, the footprint isn't that big of a difference.

I'm honestly not sure there's that much meaningful difference in footprint between a IIc and a IIe, given on the IIc you need to leave enough room on the side to stuff a disk in, a IIe in at least some circumstances lets you stack the drives on top, etc.

 

[mg.man]

a IIe ... lets you stack the drives on top

Yeah, I was gonna say, unless you have a DuoDisk... Front to back, the CC wins. That said, I can run CP/M on a IIe. But it's still to "big", so I've resorted to putting my Z80 card in my IIgs.

 

[volvo242gt]

Even disk ][ drives will stack on a //e.


That said, a IIgs is more compact than an equivalent //e.


You can even put disk ][ drives on top of the monitor.

 

[loplop]

I just bought a IIc plus. I’ve been wanting one since they were the hot (and little did I know at the time last) Apple II release. I was a IIgs user at the time, so didn’t really need one, but I’ve always liked the IIc form factor.

I’ve enjoyed it so far, although I’m having a problem with Wizardry I (which I’m playing through again for at least the 10th time…). I’m using a disk I made on my IIc with Copy II Plus, and it freaks out right after any encounter. Everything else works up until that time, adding characters in the tavern, traversing the maze, etc. Kill monsters, tho, and it bombs.

I’ve tried two external 5.25’s, both which seem to work fine on my IIc (of course, I can’t boot wizardry on them but I use the externals successfully for making disk copies since the IIc can’t boot from floppy emu if the emu is connected externally, as I have it). Disk always works fine on the IIc, but bombs after winning an encounter on IIc plus.

Anyone have that experience? Possibly something nonstandard in the way it was coded?

Otherwise I have yet run into other incompatibility issues, but I’ve only had it a week or so.

 

[magnusfalkirk]

I just bought a IIc plus. I’ve been wanting one since they were the hot (and little did I know at the time last) Apple II release. I was a IIgs user at the time, so didn’t really need one, but I’ve always liked the IIc form factor.

I’ve tried two external 5.25’s, both which seem to work fine on my IIc (of course, I can’t boot wizardry on them but I use the externals successfully for making disk copies since the IIc can’t boot from floppy emu if the emu is connected externally, as I have it). Disk always works fine on the IIc, but bombs after winning an encounter on IIc plus.

I was also having trouble getting the IIc+ to boot off the FloppyEMU when connected externally to the computer. I posted about that in an Apple II forum on AtariAge and got a reply with a link to the Nox Archaist page showing how to boot Nox Archaist on the iic+, here the link to the video:

just fast forward to the section of the video starting at 5 minutes. It will walk you through how to get the FloppyEMU to work with the iic+. If your having trouble with the FloppyEMU conected to a regular IIc watch the video from the start.

As for your trouble with Wizardry, I don't have any clue. I have yet to run Wizardry from the FloppyEMU. Though I will say that I am very happy to have found out how to get the FloppyEMU to work with the IIc+. I like running games on the original hardware, but it's nice to be able to do it with a device that will let me run disk images instead of having to use real disks. I've been having tons of fun with Total Replay via the FloppyEMU.

magnus

 

[mg.man]

The //c forces the internal drive to be "Drive 1", which makes booting from external a challenge (and may upset Wizardy). BMoW makes a small board that once fitted allows you to choose which drive is "1". If you want to see if this is the issue (and are willing to open up your //c), unplug the internal drive from the logic board and plug the FloppyEMU in directly there, then try Wizardry with that config.