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Not including the Apple IIgs, did the Apple IIe Platinum include all enhancements made by Apple?

For example, the first Apple IIe couldn't utilize the Double Hi-Res mode from what I understand. In fact, there was an "Enhancement Kit" for the IIe that, IIRC, had four new chips to give it capabilities the IIc had.

I was wondering if the Platinum edition also had some type of upgrade path that didn't include IIgs or third-party upgrades (no Z80 boards, for example).

Thanks

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3 Answers 3

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The Platinum //e had all Enhanced //e features, but lacked some //c enhancements.

The Platinum //e motherboard hardware had the following changes:

  • All units shipped with a small form factor 64k Extended 80-Column Card installed
  • A lower chip count: 2 RAM chips instead of 8, and one 16k firmware ROM
  • The "shift key mod" was installed (to sense the Shift key in software)
  • Extra capacitors were added to the push-button inputs to reduce EMI

Some downsides were:

  • Pressing the Shift key and a game controller's 3rd button caused a short-circuit
  • The push-buttons could not be used for fast switching applications, e.g. NadaNet

The firmware was the same as the Enhanced //e and so lacked at least these //c features:

Note: An improved //e Monitor is available in the Apple // Extended Debugging Monitor ROM

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4
  • What were some of the missing //c enhancements?
    – cbmeeks
    Mar 17, 2017 at 13:30
  • I've already listed the 3 that I know about which the //e could have received but didn't. There are other firmware features that obviously rely on //c hardware such as the smartport, serial ports, and mouse firmware. A perhaps less obvious one is keyboard buffering.
    – Nick Westgate
    Mar 18, 2017 at 10:53
  • Re: "Pressing the Shift key and a game controller's 3rd button caused a short-circuit", where can I find more details? Did this damage the machine?
    – Laurence Gonsalves
    Sep 7, 2018 at 3:18
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    @LaurenceGonsalves: The Apple II History site cites Open Apple Vol. 3, No. 1, February 1987, which says on the first page (paragraph 5) that such a short-circuit shuts down the power supply. Sather documents this problem with the Shift Key Mod on page 7-36 of Understanding the Apple II. Pressing Shift pulls low whereas push buttons pull high.
    – Nick Westgate
    Sep 7, 2018 at 5:00
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Yes, all the enhancements that were part of the Enhanced Apple //e were included in the Apple //e Platinum Edition. So the stock system provided 80-column text, Double Hi-Res, 128K of RAM, 65C02 microprocessor, and all previous ROM updates.

To my knowledge, the only "official" upgrade path available to the Platinum Edition owner was to swap the motherboard to make it an Apple IIgs.

Interestingly, the Platinum Edition //e was the last machine of the Apple ][ line to be manufactured and sold, all the way until the line was officially retired in 1993.

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  • 2
    There were no additional ROM enhancements in the Platinum //e.
    – Nick Westgate
    Mar 14, 2017 at 22:42
  • You are correct. I was originally thinking the mini-assembler returned with the 16K ROM, but it was already there in the Enh //e ROM set.
    – Brian H
    Mar 15, 2017 at 5:19
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The Platinum Edition //e did not have an option to run at 4 Mhz like the //c Plus, the 8k processor cache or the MIG with a 2k buffer cache. The Platinum Edition //e is a nicely upgraded //e, but without the Laser 128/128EX completing features of the //c Plus.

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