lvirden@pro-tcc.cts.com (Larry Virden) (10/25/89)
Now that Rom 00 and 01 (where did ROM 02 go?) owners no longer are in line
for rom upgrades - (or is that a misstatement Apple DTS folks? I am
assuming that because ROM 03 systems dont provide upgrade provisions that
further revisions will likewise be out - thats how things have worked in
the past for Apple II, II+, etc) is there a way that we could make use
of that 8 meg of addressing space that was reserved for ROMs? Is there
a way to put the ram tools into user provided ROM and plug them into the
motherboard? I assume that Apple wont be doing this - I only know of two
products which were primarily rom products - the Applesoft and Integer Basic
firmware cards. So perhaps someone could design a board or device which
allows a GS owner to electronically burn his/her own roms and then either
plug them into the motherboard, or perhaps have the ROMs on a card and
just plug the card in. Each user would be required to do this his/her own
self (to prevent folks from having rights to sell Apple rom code) but
would perhaps free up memory or at least speed things up a tad?
--
Larry W. Virden ProLine: pro-tcc!lvirden
674 Falls Place Work: lvirden@cas.bitnet
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-1614 Aline: LVIRDEN
CIS: 75046,606UD161733@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Joe Carlin) (10/26/89)
I think I have to correct you there. It's not that Apple won't ever be upgrading Rom 01 owners, it's just that they feel that it's not worth it right now, because all the updates come in the GS System Disk v5.0. The next time Apple makes a large enough change in the motherboard that you would want a motherboard swap (such as the introduction of a bigger and better GS, Apple are you listening?) would be the next time you probably are going to get new ROMs. To clarify something else up, ROM version 1 was called 00, version 2 was called 01, and after that, Apple felt it was too confusing, so they just called version 3 ROM 03. Joe
mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (10/29/89)
(Larry Virden had one large paragraph which I couldn't figure out how to quote the germane parts. From. The gist was "Now that ROM 01 has been passed by, do you think expansion ROM is a possibility?") There are vectors in the system for expansion ROM (the two most famous ones are the ROMDisk and ROMTools vectors), but the first is for ROM Disks (which are available from a few places) and the latter is reserved for Apple. We've been known to burn EPROMs internally and use them for debugging purposes, and we don't oppose developers doing that. However, they can't *ship a product* that uses the ROMTools vector or they run compatibility risks. I don't think ROM 01-specific expansion ROM is all that good an idea; I doubt developers will be willing to ship a product that won't work with any new IIgs computers from now on. I could be wrong, though. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome Send PERSONAL mail ONLY (please) to: | should not be construed to imply that Amer. Online: Matt DTS | Apple Computer, Inc., or any of its ThisNet: mattd@apple.com | subsidiaries, in whole or in part, ThatNet: (stuff)!ames!apple!mattd | have any opinion on any subject." Other mail by request only, please. | "So there." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------