Resolved Is this a normal language card for the apple II?

[tevion5]

Is this eBay item titled "16kb language card" a regular old language card for the Apple II and II plus that will let me boot DOS 3.3 like any other language card?

http://bit.ly/L0w9EB

Just checking it's not some similarly named but different card!

 

[Nermal]

According to the description it's not an Apple card, but it does seem to do the same thing (it's listed as "100% compatible"). Note that you need to supply your own RAM for the card though!

 

[David Schmidt]

Yep, I have one of those. Works the same as every other Language Card. Mind the jumper orientation when you plug it in, though...

 

[MacTech68]

It's a Taiwan knock off of a Microsoft 16K Language card.

http://apple2info.net/index.php?title=Microsoft_RAMCard

But the Microsoft card was a knock-off of Apple's card (without the F8 autostart ROM socket).

http://apple2info.net/index.php?title=Apple_II_Language_Card

Note that the card you link to doesn't have the 8 x 4116 RAM chips. You'd need to buy them separately.

 

[tevion5]

It's a Taiwan knock off of a Microsoft 16K Language card.

http://apple2info.net/index.php?title=Microsoft_RAMCard

But the Microsoft card was a knock-off of Apple's card (without the F8 autostart ROM socket).

http://apple2info.net/index.php?title=Apple_II_Language_Card

Note that the card you link to doesn't have the 8 x 4116 RAM chips. You'd need to buy them separately.

I have two sets of RAM chips from other non functional cards.

This card will allow DOS 3.3 into it yes? It's not just simply Ram, it has the needed rom too yes?

 

[MacTech68]

I have two sets of RAM chips from other non functional cards.

This card will allow DOS 3.3 into it yes? It's not just simply Ram, it has the needed rom too yes?

No. No ROM. I would have thought you would already have an F8 Autostart ROM on your motherboard (as all Apple II+ machines should). Most early Apple IIs with INT Basic ROMs were upgraded to Applesoft.

If your Floppy drives turn on when you power the machine on, you already have an Autostart ROM. It should be P/N 341-0020-00 at F8.

An F8 ROM of 341-0004-00 would be the old Integer Basic ROM & in this configuration D8 ROM should NOT be present.

 

[tdiaz]

I have two sets of RAM chips from other non functional cards.

This card will allow DOS 3.3 into it yes? It's not just simply Ram, it has the needed rom too yes?

They -all- allow for the same function. Either DOS 3.3 loads up higher in RAM, or the non-onboard BASIC can be loaded.

Chips from non-functional cards should not be relied on unless you've tested them somehow and determined they are not the problem.

There's a couple others on eBay in the $40/range that are complete.

You can test the DRAMs by putting them on the motherboard. If I have no other way, I'd do it by using the bottom row only, and seeing if the DOS 3.3 system master still boots.

 

[tevion5]

I received my "untested" original Apple language card and as far as I can tell, it's working perfectly!

Lacking a working Disk II drive, I booted ProDOS via bootstrapping with the awesome ADT pro. I hooked up my MacBook to the Apple II Plus's casstte ports via audio cables.

I was able to boot ProDOS 8 as well as the "ADT Pro" client. Because "ADT Pro" doesn't support systems with less than 64K ram, my language card must be working!

 

[Brian Larry]

I received my "untested" original Apple language card and as far as I can tell, it's working perfectly!

Lacking a working Disk II drive, I booted ProDOS via bootstrapping with the awesome ADT pro. I hooked up my MacBook to the Apple II Plus's casstte ports via audio cables.

I was able to boot ProDOS 8 as well as the "ADT Pro" client. Because "ADT Pro" doesn't support systems with less than 64K ram, my language card must be working!

I bought a new apple II+ ,lacking a Apple 16K Language Card , most of disks can not run ,does it normal? did I need a Language Card ? but I see the motherboard have ROM F8 on it .

 

[David Schmidt]

I bought a new apple II+ ,lacking a Apple 16K Language Card , most of disks can not run ,does it normal?

That is pretty normal, yes. Much more software was written that required 64k (and 128k IIe) than 48k.

did I need a Language Card ?

Yes, you will be much happier with a language card.

but I see the motherboard have ROM F8 on it .

That doesn't matter or have anything to do with the amount of RAM in your II+.

 

[Brian Larry]

That is pretty normal, yes. Much more software was written that required 64k (and 128k IIe) than 48k.

Yes, you will be much happier with a language card.

That doesn't matter or have anything to do with the amount of RAM in your II+.

and further test ,it's only 32k, what's happen of my ram ? ebay cheat me?

 

[David Schmidt]

and further test ,it's only 32k, what's happen of my ram ? ebay cheat me?

See the empty socket on the top row of RAM? That's going to knock out that 16k bank, and since I guess you don't have your jumper connected from there to a language card, that's going to knock out the other 16k bank. So where is your language card? And why isn't it connected via ribbon cable to that socket?

 

[Brian Larry]

See the empty socket on the top row of RAM? That's going to knock out that 16k bank, and since I guess you don't have your jumper connected from there to a language card, that's going to knock out the other 16k bank. So where is your language card? And why isn't it connected via ribbon cable to that socket?

Thank you for ur answer. I know the issue. one way is to find a 4116 dram to get back 48K, another way is find a Language card to go to 64K .

 

[MacTech68]

Indeed. The language cards with the short ribbon cables were usually supplied with a missing RAM chip. You'd transfer the top left RAM chip to the card from the motherboard, leaving an empty socket to plug the ribbon cable into.

The problem is if you get a 16K RAM card, as originally shipped, you'll still be short one RAM chip.

 

[David Schmidt]

The problem is if you get a 16K RAM card, as originally shipped, you'll still be short one RAM chip.

That's certainly true. Fortunately, most people selling them are stupid, and just yank the card out of the Apple, leaving the extra chip on the Language card and the gap in the Apple memory socket!

 

[MacTech68]

We live in hope of stupid sellers!

But sadly, they are the ones who leave one row with only 7 RAM chips.