MEMORY : YOU NEED IT!
By Chris Nelligan
Copyright (c) 1991 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
Your computer has two different kinds of memory, ROM and RAM. ROM is Read Only Memory and contains your computers firmware, which is in fact the programs that are instantly available when you turn your computer on. RAM is Random Access Memory, this is where the programs you use and your own data is placed in the computer. RAM is classed as volatile, that is: when the computer loses power, you lose the contents of RAM. ROM is the opposite, it will not lose the information stored in it.
The first computers came out with 16k, and usually were expanded in 8k increments . When the Apple IIe came out, there was 64k of RAM already in the computer, now when you buy an Apple IIGS (ROM3) you get 1024k (1 megabyte) of RAM, and 256k of ROM! The ROM1 IIGS had 256k of RAM, and 128k of ROM.
As programs get bigger and work files become larger, there comes the time when your computer can not run programs or can not hold all of your data at once because of lack of memory. This can sometimes be fixed by adding more memory to your computer.
The Apple IIe can use the Apple II Memory Expansion Card which is capable of being expanded to 1 megabyte. Programmers usually now check to see if this extra memory is available, and if it is, support the use of it in their products.
The IIGS is now Apple's main Apple II platform, and most development of software is being done on this level. Just the operating system (GSOS) and Finder take up almost a 1 megabyte of RAM by themselves. Apple's recently announced Hypercard IIGS needs 1.75 megabytes but recommends 2 megabytes or more to use it properly.
What can I do to get more memory, I here you ask? Extra memory (RAM) for the Apple IIGS is placed in the slot which is on the right hand side at the front of the computer as you look at it. The Apple IIGS can be expanded to a maximum of 8 megabytes.
Many companies make products that enable you to put more memory into your computer, but first more on memory itself. RAM comes in two forms, Ramchips and SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Module). Different products use one or the other of these two kinds of memory, arguments can be taken from both sides as to which is the better/faster. I'll put my bit in, SIMMs I think will remain to be the cheapest and most easily accessible way of memory upgrades.
The products available.
APPLE make their own memory expansion card, it comes in two configurations 256k, and 1meg, they are not expandable, they are also very expensive. The board which includes 1 megabyte of RAM costs $1002, and is available from Apple dealers.
SCARLAN (an Australian) company designed and market their own SIMM based memory board for the Apple IIGS. A board plus 2 megabytes costs $300, each addition megabyte costs $66. The board has a maximum memory capacity of 4 megabytes. Contact Armen at Scarlan on (02) 819 7032.
FIRMWARE DESIGN (an Australian) company also designed and market their own CHIP based memory board for the Apple IIGS. A board with 1 megabyte of memory costs $425, and each addition megabyte costs $190. The board also has a maximum memory capacity of 4 megabytes. Contact Darren Downes at AppleCentre Paramatta on (02) 893 8888.
TWO SERIES SOFTWARE also stock a variety of memory expansion boards, contact Jeff Schuurman on (02) 606 9343. Applied Engineering RamPlus with 1 megabyte expandable to 6 megabytes costs $385, each megabyte costs $100. Applied Engineering GSRAM II with 1 megabyte expandable to 4 megabytes costs $295, 2meg $395, 4meg $595. Chinook RAM4000 comes in 3 configurations, 1meg $285, 2meg $385 and 4meg $585. All these cards have a five year warranty.
These prices quoted are as at December 1990. Of course you can buy memory SIMMs and RAMchips at various locations probably at cheaper prices again.
My personal choice is the SCARLAN memory expansion board, I have had one for over 2 years, have never had problems, it works on all versions of the Apple IIGS and it is of Australian design and manufacture. Should you have any queries contact myself or any of the above distributors.

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