# Setup session record This record captures the work performed on September 30, 2026, and distinguishes direct observations from inferred hardware details and proposed future work. ## Hardware and connections The user initially could not distinguish an Apple IIe from a IIc and reported an `Apple ][` startup banner. The machine has cassette input and output jacks, external 5¼-inch drives, working 80-column text, and auxiliary graphics memory. These observations support identifying it as an Apple IIe. Its exact motherboard revision and CPU have not been inspected. The IIc has no cassette interface. Cassette jacks alone distinguish it from a IIc but do not distinguish a IIe from every earlier Apple II model. The startup banner alone was not enough to settle the model. The display is a Commodore video monitor model 1702. The user reported two apparent 5¼-inch floppy drives. We used the boot drive for the successful write; the second drive has not been tested. The laptop runs Linux. Local audio inspection showed: | Device | Observed capability and state | | --- | --- | | Google USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Adapter | Playback only; stereo, 48 kHz; no capture endpoint exposed | | Built-in Realtek ALC285 audio | Playback and capture; internal-microphone and headset-microphone input choices | | Selected recording input | Internal microphone at the last inspection | The physical connections described by the user are a cable from the USB-C adapter to the Apple, and a second cable from the Apple to the laptop's built-in audio jack. The successful Merlin transfer verified the first cable reaches **cassette IN**. We have not verified the return cable's electrical connection to the laptop microphone input. ## Memory checks At the Applesoft `]` prompt, the user ran: ```text PR#3 ``` The text became narrower, confirming 80-column operation. This alone does not distinguish a basic 80-column card from a full 64 KB auxiliary-memory expansion. The user then entered: ```text TEXT HGR CALL -151 ``` At the monitor's `*` prompt: ```text C05E ``` The user reported stripes. This is consistent with auxiliary graphics memory and a 128 KB IIe configuration suitable for Merlin Pro. Merlin subsequently booted successfully. Neither observation constitutes an exhaustive RAM test or establishes whether still more memory is installed. The [original screen-test procedure](https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/1575/quick-way-to-tell-how-much-ram-an-apple-iie-has) explains the inference. A black screen would have been inconclusive, particularly with different initial memory contents or early hardware revisions. Corrections made during the session: - The built-in language is **Applesoft BASIC**, not Visual Basic. - The monitor entry is **`CALL -151`**, not `CALL -131`. - `PRINT FRE(0)` reports BASIC workspace, not total installed RAM. - Opening the case was suggested initially, but a keyboard-based check proved sufficient for this setup. ## Initial audio experiment We generated `audio/cassette-input-test.wav`: a 12-second stereo WAV at 48 kHz, alternating two seconds of silence with two seconds of a 997 Hz tone. The proposed Apple test was: ```basic 10 PRINT INT(PEEK(49248)/128); 20 GOTO 10 RUN ``` Address 49248 is `$C060`; bit 7 reflects cassette input. The expected observation was steady values in silence and mixed zeros and ones during tone. Control-C stops the program. This is only an activity check, not a data-integrity test. The user did not report a conclusive result from this experiment. The later successful disk transfer superseded it as evidence of a working input path. [Apple reference manual](https://apple2history.org/dl/Apple_II_Redbook.pdf) ## Successful Merlin transfer We downloaded the two ProDOS images from the requested archive, checked that each was 143,360 bytes, and verified each MD5 against Internet Archive metadata. We compiled `c2t-96h` and generated WAV files; build and conversion instructions are in [transfers.md](transfers.md). The user placed a floppy they were willing to erase in drive 1 and entered `LOAD`. The laptop played disk A directly through the USB-C output. Before playback, the USB output was at 40%, and Firefox had an active audio stream on that output. For this transfer, we temporarily muted that stream, set USB output to 100%, and used full application playback volume. The script restored the previous volume and stream mute state afterward. The user reported this sequence: 1. `Loading INSTA-DISK` 2. `Formatting disk` 3. Blinking `Loading data` with an ETA 4. Merlin appearing after booting the resulting disk Disk A playback lasted approximately 155 seconds. Laptop playback completed with exit status 0. The physical disk boot is the user-observed validation; we did not read the floppy back for a byte-for-byte comparison. ## Display adjustments Merlin's 80-column text was too narrow to read comfortably on the 1702. From the main menu, the user entered the editor with **E**, pressed and released **Esc**, then pressed **Control-Q**. The user confirmed the resulting display was readable. Turning down the monitor's COLOR control and adjusting BRIGHT and CONTRAST were suggested, but not reported as performed. No internal monitor adjustments were attempted. The actual video input socket in use was not established. ## Disk B and persistence discussion Disk B is an optional Applesoft ROM disassembly companion. The initial suggestion that two disks were needed for normal Merlin use was corrected after inspecting its catalog. Disk A already contains the editor, assembler, libraries, sample sources, and utilities. The user was told how to save source on the Merlin floppy and how a future ADTPro workflow could copy entire floppies to the laptop. No source save, ADTPro installation, return-audio test, or user-work backup has been confirmed. We also discussed floppy endurance. There is no reliable remaining-save count for a decades-old disk. A cited 5¼-inch drive specification lists 3.5 million passes per track, which is a mechanical-use measure rather than a number of file saves and is not a rating established for this particular floppy. The practical advice was to save frequently and retain independent copies. [Example specification](https://docs.rs-online.com/41b6/0900766b8001b0a3.pdf), [National Archives guidance](https://www.archives.gov/preservation/holdings-maintenance/machine-readable)