Is this IIgs board a ROM0 that was upgraded?

[KennyPowers]

I've had a IIgs "Woz" edition for awhile, and I finally took it apart to recap and retrobrite. It's always reported ROM1 when booting, so I kind of assumed that someone had just put the Woz top on a non-Woz machine. However, when I got it apart, I noticed a few things:

1. The logic board is the 607-0173-A revision, and every board I've seen in a legit Woz was the A revision.
2. There are some bodges on the back that I was about to ask about when I found @tmtrains post showing identical bodges and stating that they were added back in the day in conjunction with upgrading the board to ROM1.
3. The serial number on the bottom of the case shows that the machine was manufactured in week 1 of 1987, so could have possibly been one of the first 50,000?

Here are the bodges on underside of my board. As you can see, they're identical to @tmtrains board. So what's the consensus...do I have a legit "Woz" machine that was upgraded to ROM1? I know they're not super rare or anything, but I just like knowing what I've got

 

[tmtrains]

My hunch is that the ROM0 to ROM1 upgrade was simply swapping out the ROM chip, and that the bodges were done at the factory for the ROM0 boards. I say this, since my recollection of the ROM upgrade was that it was quickly handled by the Apple authorized retailer at the time, when I took my IIgs in for the upgrade, back in the day.

There are some bodges on the back that I was about to ask about when I found @tmtrains post showing identical bodges and stating that they were added back in the day in conjunction with upgrading the board to ROM1.

Sorry, I meant that the ROM0 bodges were then incorporated into the design of the ROM1 board itself. So, getting a ROM01 machine meant you got both the updated ROM and the newer layout of the board. I know when recapping my board, there were some small differences from online guides that were using a ROM1 board. Hope that makes sense!

 

[KennyPowers]

My hunch is that the ROM0 to ROM1 upgrade was simply swapping out the ROM chip, and that the bodges were done at the factory for the ROM0 boards. I say this, since my recollection of the ROM upgrade was that it was quickly handled by the Apple authorized retailer at the time, when I took my IIgs in for the upgrade, back in the day.


Sorry, I meant that the ROM0 bodges were then incorporated into the design of the ROM1 board itself. So, getting a ROM01 machine meant you got both the updated ROM and the newer layout of the board. I know when recapping my board, there were some small differences from online guides that were using a ROM1 board. Hope that makes sense!

I see...bodges were done before the board ever left the factory...ROM01 upgrade would have come later. But in a nutshell, the presence of the bodges (and possibly the 'A' board revision?) suggests it started life as a ROM0 board? That would then suggest that I have a "real" Woz machine instead of a case-lid swap since I believe all of the Woz's were ROM0.

 

[Volvo242GT]

^Most likely. Also, all of the 0173-A boards I've seen have had the //e connectors preinstalled, so they were the universal IIgs boards that could be used either in an actual IIgs or in the upgrade kit for the //e.

 

[KennyPowers]

Also, all of the 0173-A boards I've seen have had the //e connectors preinstalled, so they were the universal IIgs boards that could be used either in an actual IIgs or in the upgrade kit for the //e.

My 0173-A board does not have the //e connectors (keyboard, etc) installed:



Neither does this one: https://www.myoldcomputers.com/museum/computers/appleiigs_woz.htm

Here's one with the //e connectors installed, same bodge stuff on the back, and it's a 0173-B: https://www.recycledgoods.com/apple-607-0173-apple-iie-to-apple-iigs-upgrade-motherboard/

 

[tmtrains]

I think the //e upgrade boards would have both the keyboard connector and the //e PSU connector (as @KennyPowers link shows above).

My IIgs also doesn't have the //e keyboard connector installed (just the pads). I wonder if they shipped out a number of IIgs machines that used "leftover" //e upgrade boards

 

[retr01]

When the Apple IIGS was first released in 1986, the boards had keyboard connectors. People would bring in the Apple IIe computer to Apple authorized dealerships for upgrade to the Apple IIGS board which was essentially a ROM 0 IIGS board with new back plate. The Apple IIe case with keyboard was much more sturdier and easier for people who used Apple II, II+, or IIe. I concur with those people as the Apple IIe keyboard was easier for me to type than the Apple IIGS ADB keyboard.

 

[tmtrains]

iirc @Action Retro got his hands on a //e to IIgs upgrade kit:

 

[tmtrains]

I see...bodges were done before the board ever left the factory...ROM01 upgrade would have come later. But in a nutshell, the presence of the bodges (and possibly the 'A' board revision?) suggests it started life as a ROM0 board? That would then suggest that I have a "real" Woz machine instead of a case-lid swap since I believe all of the Woz's were ROM0.

I think the bodge wires are the most visible proof you have a ROM0 board. The board revision number is under the CPU if you really want to make sure.
Again, relying on my 30+ year memory, I feel like the ROM01 upgrade was something we were notified about and we brought our IIgs in to the Apple dealer for that service. I could see a bunch of early IIgses, say, sold to schools, that might have never gotten that ROM upgrade.

 

[KennyPowers]

I think the bodge wires are the most visible proof you have a ROM0 board.

Good enough for me.

 

[retr01]

In 1987, plonk $499, and the dealer would grin and upgrade your IIe to the IIGS.

The elusive Apple IIe to IIgs upgrade model

Here's something you don't see every day. I was gifted this by a former member of an Apple computer club I'm affiliated with. It actually came close to ending up at an electronic recycling event had we not gotten in contact. A bit of a trek getting it, but certainly worth it. This is the mostly u...

forums.atariage.com

 

[retr01]

This is one of the several advertisements for that $499 IIe to IIGS upgrade conversion kit:

 

[retr01]

In the February 1987 issue of the A+ Magazine, there was a cover article about upgrading to the IIGS from the IIe with the board swap. Whether it was cost-effective for schools was also discussed in another article.

I uploaded a restored magazine version in a searchable PDF file in the resources section on Tinker Different. Enjoy!

 

[Volvo242GT]

The IIgs upgrade kit was offered through at least 1989, btw. Maybe longer, but, there was less demand for it after the ROM 3 IIgs board came out, since an upgrade kit machine didn't have the upgraded memory, nor the upgraded ROMs. Also, the upgrade kit did not come with a memory expansion card, whereas all 1988 and newer ROM 01 IIgs systems came with the card, populated with 256K RAM.

Another issue is that, if you have an early //e, the case had to be replaced with the later version that isn't painted. Backpanel wasn't compatible with the older case that had the plastic "velcro" latches for the lid. In retrospect, when my //e was damaged in early 1989 by a bad chip on a Saturn Systems 128K RAM card, I should've had the original board repaired, then sold it and purchased a IIgs system. Yeah, I would've forked over another $500, plus tax for the machine itself, but, I would've had a regular gs.

 

[tmtrains]

I was curious about the revision history and Wikipedia has a decent summary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIGS#Revision_history

This made me laugh, though:

During the entire first year of the machine's production, an early, almost beta-like, firmware version shipped with the machine and was notably bug-ridden.

Another thing about the //e upgrade kit (granted the whole section is flagged as "original research":

Original IIGS motherboards (those produced between 1986 and mid-1989) have electrical connections for the IIe power supply and keyboard present, although only about half of those produced have the physical plug connectors factory-presoldered in, which were mostly reserved for the upgrade kits