Apple II GS find

My friend's parents had an auction, and decided to give me the computer leftovers, including a fairly interesting Apple II GS with a Applied Engineering RamKeeper -- actually a battery backed RAM _drive_ that uses II GS expansion memory. Sadly lacking in original software disks, even though the original boxes for the software are there. A few odds and ends besides that, like a Kensington System Saver II GS surge protector, an Apple II RGB monitor, a handheld scanner, and several drives. Most stuff needs cleaning, the more impressive GS needs a lot of cleaning as the Kensington System Saver's rubber padding disintegrated and covers most of the GS top with black goo.

Note: the Big Keys XL is a large print PC PS/2 keyboard

Update: The RamKeeper is an odd hardware RAM drive that uses memory expansion cards that it keeps alive with battery or external transformer power. Not a system RAM backup for instant booting as I thought when making the video. I got a call saying that more Apple stuff had been found, which they'll also give me. Hopefully, the configuration disks and transformer (the gel-cell battery that came with it probably died years ago) will be with the rest of the stuff.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Apple
• IIGS
• II
• GS
• //GS
• //
• drives
• ram
• backup
• upgrade
• retro
• old
• school
• AE
• RAM
• Keeper
• 2GS
• pickup
• pick
• up
• flea
• market
• thrift
• store
• auction
• vintage
• computer
• Ram
• Plus

[madmax2069]

I know what the issue is (at least i think i do anyhow) with the IIgs that has the scrolling video.

I think its set to 50hz instead of 60 (depending if you live in the USA).

try doing this

power on the IIgs and press (and hold) control+option+reset, then release the reset key (while still holding the other two keys) which will bring you into the control panel, when you are in there press 2 for 60hz and 3 for 50hz.

someone could have accidentally changed the refresh rate. try both options.

[tom611]

@madmax2069 The unit with the scrolling troubles is the same unit that doesn't respond to ADB keyboard or mouse. Thanks for trying to help though.

[tom611]

@madmax2069 Do you happen to know a good place to sell these kind of items online? The eBay market seems to be all over the place for IIGS items (I saw one item go with no bids at $30, but the relist of it the next week went for over $100!)

[Redhawk579]

i had the same problem

[madmax2069]

@madmax2069 For some reason i didn't think of that till just now while toying around with my IIgs (which is hooked to a TV) trying to play Revenge Of The Bobs and it wants you to set the refresh rate to 50hz.

[tom611]

@madmax2069 Probably not a PAL system as the colors were fine, it just has a rolling picture. The ADB not working could be anything from cold solder joints, to a power surge damaged motherboard.

The Apple memory card in that one only has the soldered on chips, so it only has whatever the minimum expansion would be.

[madmax2069]

@tom611 It has me wondering if that one IIgs isnt a Pal system, or somehow the VGC is bad. if nothing hooked up to the ADB port works on it then something had to happen to that system something other then normal usage (it could be bad caps as well).

Yeah a rom 03 would have more then 1mb of ram with a card (a bit over 2mb if it had a fully populated Apple Ram card).

[madmax2069]

@tom611 That AE ram card is a nice score, as well as that Ramkeeper. i bet those would fetch a bit.

[tom611]

@madmax2069 I was using both on a TV with composite since I can't find the cable for the RGB monitor.

For the Mouse, I was just in Finder and was going to see how much ram it had(>1MB with the card would mean Rom 3, of course). It also ignored Control-Open Apple- Reset/Esc, so I'm guessing something is wrong with the ADB on the motherboard(using the same keyboard and mouse on both).

Probably greater than Rom 0 as well since it did boot System 5.0.3 (only IIGS boot disks I have on hand).

[tom611]

@madmax2069 Rom 0 was a typo, I meant Rom 01.

I checked for loose chips on all the cards after it didn't boot up the first time. Every single chip on the RamKeeper was loose. There is one chip that looks oddly seated on the Apple memory card that I'll have to take a look at. The other card is an A.E. GS-RAM Plus, the kind of card I was thinking of when I said that the Apple card possibly had more than a meg. It's equipped with one meg currently, and the manual says it can take 6, IIRC.