Apple //e Enhanced/Platinum

Essentials

Family: Pre-Macintosh

Codename: LCA

Introduced: March 1985

Terminated: November 1993

Processor

CPU: SynerTek 65C02

CPU Speed: 1 MHz

FPU: none

Bus Speed: 1 MHz

Data Bus Width: 8-bit

Address Bus Width: 16-bit

ROM: 16 kB

Onboard RAM: 64 kB

RAM slots: expansion via 1st slot

Maximum RAM: 128 k, with Extended 80 Columns Card

Expansion Slots: 8 proprietary

Video

Max Resolution: 40/80x24 text, 4-bit 40x48, 6 color 140x192, 4-bit 140x192, 1-bit 240x192, 1-bit 560x192

Storage

Floppy Drive: optional

Input/Output

Joystick/Mouse: DE-9

Speaker: mono

According to Mitchel Spector:

In March 1985 Apple introduced the Enhanced //e. It was identical in every aspect to the original ][e, the only difference being four socketed chips had been changed on the motherboard: 6502, CD and EF ROMs, and the Video ROM. The 65C02 CPU added more instruction sets, the new ROM firmware fixed bugs and improved Applesoft BASIC, Monitor and 80 column routines, and finally the new Video ROM added "MouseText" characters first introduced in the //c. Essentially the Enhancement was to make the ][e more compatible with the Apple ][+ and IIc models. The original ][e (including the revision A board) could be easily user upgraded by simply swapping the 4 chips; Apple even sold an Enhancement kit upgrade.

In January 1987 Apple introduced the "Platinum //e". Changes were mostly cosmetic and superficial, with the biggest difference being that the case color was changed from beige to the then standard platinum/grey color. Also different was a numeric keypad was built-in and the main keyboard had the same layout as the Apple //gs and Macintosh SE. The motherboard was functionally identical to the Enhanced IIe, though the number of RAM chips making up 64K had been reduced (two chips instead of eight), the 16K ROM was merged into a single chip ("CF ROM"), and the shift-key mod was shorted to 'active' by default. Also, these IIe's shipped with 128K as standard (a drastically reduced version of the Extended 80 Columns Card was pre-installed in the auxiliary slot of each unit).

Picture Credits:
AppleDesign

Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 23:04:28 -0700
From: Scott Baret
Subject: Apple //e Platinum

The //e Platinum had another feature that differed from the beige //e. There was an "option" key instead of a "closed Apple" key. This was done perhaps to standardize it with the then-new Apple //gs, because the Apple //c+ also has this difference over the regular Apple //c.

Date: Tue, 02 Aug 2005 19:08:56 -0700
From: Antonio Rodríguez
Subject: Apple //e Enhanced

There are a couple of mistakes in the "Max Resolution" line, under the "Video" title. There are two modes referenced as 140x192 at 6 colors and 240x192 at 1 bit. Both of them have a resolution of 280x192. In fact, they are the very same video mode, displayed differently depending on what type of display (monochrome or color) is attached. With revision B boards, it was also possible a 4 bit, 80x48 mode. In fact, revision B boards had the very same videomodes as the //c.