ZipChipGS...

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transwarp II guy's picture
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ZipChipGS...

Hi everyone;

According to this article there is a "ZipChipGS":

http://www.apple-iigs.info/doc/fichiers/zipgs.pdf

So is this thing real or vaporware? I’ve never ever seen a picture of one in the last 20 years that I’ve searched!

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Re: ZipChipGS...

hello transwarp II guy,

after "more than 20 years of search" your hunting is over....

here is the "alien":

componentside:

IMAGE(http://www.appleii-box.de/APPLEIIGS/GSXZIPCHIPcomp.jpg)

rear solderside:

IMAGE(http://www.appleii-box.de/APPLEIIGS/GSXZIPCHIPsolder.jpg)

sincerely speedyG

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Wow that company made some neat add-on's for the Apple II line! Speedy, what's the story with the missing 65816 IC? Was it a co-processor option?

Mutant Pie

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Hi Speedy, Thanks for the awesome pictures! But that appears to be a ZIP GSX.
The ZIP GSX is an awesome card and I've had one in one of my personal IIgs's for a while now.

But according to page 1 on the article above, their is supposed to be a "ZipChipGS"; which is completely different than the ZIP GSX card.
Its supposed to be a socket only piece; almost like the original zipchip that was built for the II/II+/IIe.
However it's specifically built for use in an Apple IIgs.

Sorry for any confusion...

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Re: ZipChipGS...

the missing 40 pin dip isn't missing at all. it's an empty socket for the original processor that has to be removed from the motherboard during card installation.
internet lore has it that Zip Tech had plan to produce single chip accelerator for the GS, but that never materialized. (No, don't believe everything you read on the internet.)

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Sorry transwarp II guy,
but except this version i can´t offer any other pictures....
i´ve only seen this "card type" version....
up to my knowledge they never really offered a "chip type" version for the 65816...
the "chip type" versions have only been - up to my knowledge - availiable at the
older II series ( II+ and IIe )with the 6502 cpu....
From that series i´ve got the ZIP8000 ( the last and fastest version of the old versions....)
maybe another member can help you out with a "unicorn version"....
speedyG

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Re: ZipChipGS...

As far as i know the ZIP CHIP GSX (aka ZIP GSX) was the only 65816 Accelerator for the IIgs from ZIP Chip Tech. Interestingly the ZIP GSX was also known as the ZIP GS at the time of introduction. A plug-in CPU replacement was developed but never hit the market due to the lack of DMA support (a IIgs must have) and heat-problems. The direct competitor to ZIP was Applied engineering with the Transwarp GS. The TWGS and ZIPGSX were the only IIgs accelerators (to my knowledge). Sadly the highly integrated ASIC of the ZIP GSX is prone to aging and tends to stop working over time. The ZIP GSX that SpeedyG has shown originally came from me and has stopped working about 3 Months ago. The mighty power of knowledge embedded in the mind of speedyG might be able to revive this undead piece of hardware. Since i only have a single working ZIP GSX (out of 4 total) left im hoping for a new accelerator in time to replace the ZIP GSX.

An accelerator is a must-have for the IIGS to get the most out of the platform.

-Jonas

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Interesting, it must be vaporware then. too bad; I would have loved to have one.

Does anyone know if the GSX has a self test?
Mine seams to be working great; the computer is a lot faster with it installed.
But I've never been able to fully test it.

I know my Transwarp GS has a built in self test that you can access. Maybe the GSX has one too?

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Interesting, it must be vaporware then. too bad; I would have loved to have one.

Almost complete vapor. Did you know you don't have to have the ZipGS plugged into the slot for it to work?

Does anyone know if the GSX has a self test?

It doesn't - use the diagnostics on disk that came with it.

The reason the ZipChipGS didn't ship is because it wasn't practical -- too big, it interfered with other cards, and there was concern over it's power draw from the CPU socket in relation to other cards in the system.

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Speaking of Zip Technology almost vaporware:

IMAGE(http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s623/JamesLittlejohn/ZipAd_zps5a21aa07.jpg)

These were made in the last days of Zip closing it's doors forever.
Only 7 known to exist in the entire world. (Please prove me wrong.)
I own the only 3 working cards out of the seven.

IMAGE(http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s623/JamesLittlejohn/ZIPhd_zpscb3168e2.jpg)

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Re: ZipChipGS...

Speaking of Zip Technology almost vaporware:...

Hi James,

a nice setup you have there on your Photobucket-Account. Could you make a hires scan of the 2meg and
RGB-Expander for the AE RamWorks III and post it online? (Everything that is online is not of the best Qualitiy)
Do you use a ZipChip with your setup? All in all very nice and possibly one of the best upgraded (Euro) Apple
IIe i have seen.

Regarding the ZipGS Upgrades: they were simply expansions (replacements) of the ZipGS-Card (aka ZipGSX).
The 7Mhz/8k model was the base and everything else could be bought as Upgrade. But i could be completely
wrong since i only have been in contact with Apple computers since 1988 Wink

-Jonas

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Re: ZipChipGS...

littlejohn, That is awesome! I never even knew those existed.

sfahey, I actually did not know that. I wonder why they had the socket..

Thanks for the info on the self test & the zipchipGS. It makes more since now that you mention that it would interfere with cards a certain length.

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Re: ZipChipGS...

All:

This is beginning to sound like another SpeedyG "Special Project".

Steven Smile

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Re: ZipChipGS...

All:

This is beginning to sound like another SpeedyG "Special Project".

Steven :)

Do it! :bigsmile: (evil laugh)

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Re: ZipChipGS...


Hi James,

a nice setup you have there on your Photobucket-Account. Could you make a hires scan of the 2meg and
RGB-Expander for the AE RamWorks III and post it online? (Everything that is online is not of the best Qualitiy)
Do you use a ZipChip with your setup? All in all very nice and possibly one of the best upgraded (Euro) Apple
IIe i have seen.

-Jonas

Thanks, but that is not a RGB-Expander, it is the Ferdinand Meyer-Hermann VGA daughter card.
I don't use a Zip Chip in this machine.
I will see about posting the 2Meg Plus images.

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Re: ZipChipGS...

I have some pictures On-Line of my Apple ][e cards I bought back in 1984-1987..

Some of my Original Apple ][e Cards

and

The Zip Chip II-4

Also
Echo+ Card

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