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MAME ID: apple2c
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Apple IIc (c) 1984 Apple Computer Co.

- TECHNICAL -

Microprocessor:
- 65C02 running at 1.023 MHz
- 8-bit data bus

Memory:
-- 128 KB RAM built-in
-- 32 KB ROM built-in (16 KB ROM in original)
- Expandable from 128 KB to 1 MB (only through non-conventional methods in original)

Video:
- 40 and 80 columns text, with 24 lines
- Low-Resolution: 40 × 48 (15 colors)
- High-Resolution: 280 × 192 (6 colors)
- Double-Low-Resolution: 80 × 48 (15 colors)
- Double-High-Resolution: 560 × 192 (15 colors)

Audio:
- Built-in speaker; 1-bit toggling
- User adjustable volume (manual dial control)

Built-in storage:
- Slim-line internal 5.25-inch floppy drive (140 KB, single-sided)

Internal connectors:
- Memory Expansion Card connector (34-pin)*
* Only available on ROM 3 motherboard and higher; original IIc: NONE

Specialized chip controllers:
- IWM (Integrated Wozniak Machine) for floppy drives
- Dual 6551 ACIA chips for serial I/O

External connectors:
- Joystick/Mouse (DE-9)
- Printer, serial-1 (DIN-5)
- Modem, serial-2 (DIN-5)
- Video Expansion Port (D-15)
- Floppy drive SmartPort (D-19)
- 12-Volt DC connector input (DIN-7, male)
- NTSC composite video output (RCA connector)
- Audio-out (?-inch mono phone jack)

- TRIVIA -

The Apple IIc was released on April 24, 1984 in North America during an Apple-held event called 'Apple II Forever'. The new machine was proclaimed as proof of Apple's long-term commitment to the Apple II series and its users, an assurance the company's older technology would not be forsaken or dropped with the recent introduction of the Macintosh. Beyond displaying a commitment to the vitality of the Apple II line, the IIc was also seen as the company's response to IBM's new PCjr.

While essentially an Apple IIe computer in a smaller case, it was not a successor, but rather a portable version to complement it. One Apple II machine would be sold for users who required the expandability of slots, and another for those wanting the simplicity of a plug and play machine with portability in mind.

The machine introduced Apple's Snow White design language, notable for its case styling and a modern look which soon became the standard for most Apple equipment and computers, and continued for nearly a decade after. The Apple IIc introduced a unique off-white coloring known as 'Fog', chosen to enhance the Snow White design style. The Apple IIc, along with a few other peripherals, was the only computer made by Apple to use the 'Fog' coloring.

While relatively light-weight and compact in design, the Apple IIc was not a true portable in design as it lacked a built-in battery and display.
Codenames for the machine while under development included: Lollie, ET, Yoda, Teddy, VLC, IIb, IIp.

- UPDATES -

The Apple IIc was in production from April 1984 to August 1988, and during this time accrued some minor changes. These modifications included three new ROM updates, a bug-fix correction to the original motherboard, a newly revised motherboard, and a slight cosmetic change to the external appearance of the machine. The ROM revision for a specific Apple IIc is determined by entering the Applesoft BASIC programming language and typing in the command PRINT PEEK (64447) which returns the value indicating the particular ROM version.

* Original IIc (ROM version 255): The initial ROM, installed in machines produced during the first year and a half of production, was 16 KB in size. The only device which could be connected to the disk port was (one) external 5.25-inch floppy drive; software could be booted from this external drive by typing the command PR#7. The serial port did not mask incoming linefeed characters or support the XON/XOFF protocol, unlike all later firmware revisions to come. There was no self-test diagnostic present in this ROM, holding down the solid-Apple key during cold boot merely cycled unusual patterns on screen which served no useful purpose or indication of the machine's health.

* Serial port timing fix: The original Apple IIc motherboard (manufactured between April and November 1984) derived the timing for its two serial ports through a 74LS161 TTL logic chip. It was later found that this method's timing was 3% slower than the minimum requirement specified and caused some third party (i.e. non-Apple) modems and printers, which operated at 1200 bits per second (baud) or faster, to function improperly. Slower serial devices operating at 300 baud or less were unaffected, as well as some faster devices which could tolerate the deviation. The solution to ensure all devices were compatible was to replace the TTL chip with an oscillator during manufacture. Apple would swap affected motherboards for users who could prove they had an in[...]
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