What is difference between language card and 16K RAM expansion card?

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What is difference between language card and 16K RAM expansion card?
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What is the difference between the language card and 16K RAM expansion card? I have an Apple II Plus with a card in slot 0 labeled "16K RAM EXPANSION". I have looked at photos of language cards, and they look different from my 16K RAM expansion card. Attached is a photo of my card.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

What is the difference between the language card and 16K RAM expansion card? I have an Apple II Plus with a card in slot 0 labeled "16K RAM EXPANSION". I have looked at photos of language cards, and they look different from my 16K RAM expansion card. Attached is a photo of my card.

One of the major differences is that the language card has a built in autostart ROM... which was useful for Apple II original users.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

RichardF, from the photo, your card does not have the Autostart ROM on it.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

That's really the only difference IIRC. They all add 16k ram.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

That's really the only difference IIRC. They all add 16k ram.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

A 16k card was called a language card because it was used to load either applesoft basic or integer basic onto that 16k. The Apple card had a ROM socket for the autostart ROM. A lot of people bought 3rd party cards because they were cheaper and if you had a II+ then you didn’t need the ROM socket. Even a lot of II owners replaced the motherboard ROM with the autostart ROM.

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

I literally just purchased one to experiment again on my standalone A2+ motherboard. It's been many years since I owned one but I still recall from my
ancient memory the switches:
C081 twice for write only
C080 once for read only
C083 (twice?) for read/write
C082 once to turn off.
I remember copying D000-FFFF to it then modify and r/w enable my "cannibalized" pseudo-rom, fun stuff !!
It will be a few weeks until I get all the stuff to try it out again, can't wait !!

Larry G

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Re: What is difference between language card and 16K RAM ...

It's interesting how it has those CLASSY blue ceramic RAM chips in it. I'd think a clone card would have come late enough chronologically that it would have come with plastic packages. Maybe it came unpopulated and someone stuffed it with salvaged chips?

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