PEEK(100): 6 ROM BANK Reviewed by J.D. Hildebrand, editor, LAPTOP USER magazine. Reproduced by permission. I recently buckled a 6 ROM Bank onto my Model 100 and I feel 10 feet tall. All six of the 11.5 by 2.75 by 2.5-inch unit's ROM sockets contain firmware applications programs, giving me near-instant access to an incredible wealth of software: Super ROM, Ultimate ROM II, Lucid, TS-DOS, Disk+ and RAM+ (yes, I've also installed the PCSG/Cryptronics 96K memory upgrade, giving me four 32K banks of RAM). My battered 100 doesn't know what hit it. All told it contains 128K of RAM and 224K of ROM-based programs -- about as much memory as the PC clone I use for editing Laptop User. Moreover, the 6 ROM Bank's rechargeable batteries are now powering my 100. When the low-battery light comes on I can just plug in the AC adapter and charge it up. A 90-minute quick charge will give me six hours of use, and if I leave the unit plugged in for six hours or more I'll have 30 hours of worry-free computing. This product has transformed my 100 from a somewhat limited (though surprisingly powerful and flexible) note-taker into a conveniently portable full-function computer that fares well in a feature-by-feature comparison with both desktop computers and high-powered MS-DOS laptops. The 6 ROM Bank is manufactured by American Cryptronics Inc. of Costa Mesa, California and marketed by Portable Computer Support Group in Dallas. Although it's been on the market for more than a year, you don't see too many of them around. In a way, that's not too surprising. Plug-in programs for the Model 100 are still scarce and pricey, and for many people the availability of multiprogram ROMs eliminates the need for multiple banks. (To fill mine up I've got two copies of PCSG's Lucid spreadsheet program installed: one on its own chip and one built into Super ROM.) The firmware I've got plugged into the 6 ROM Bank would retail for a hair under $800, I figure, and there probably aren't too many Model 100 diehards willing to pop for that much software. So the need for the product -- to allow users near-instant access to a multiplicity of ROMs -- is not widespread. Still, as ROMware becomes more affordable and a wider variety of programs becomes available, more and more laptop users will need the 6 ROM Bank. INSTALLATION Installing the 6 ROM Bank is a breeze, even without reference to its eight-page manual. The brevity of the manual, which doesn't skimp on its coverage of installation and operational tips, is testimony to the product's ease of use. There's really nothing to it. The 6 ROM Bank attaches to the Model 100 with two pegs that poke into cylindrical holes in the bottom of the computer -- the same holes that ordinarily hold prop-legs or broken-off pencils to tilt the 100 to a comfortable typing angle. When the 6 ROM Bank is installed, it takes the place of prop-legs, elevating the back of the Model 100 by about 2.5 inches to provide a convenient angle for typing and for reading information on the computer's liquid crystal display. Snaking out of the unit is a flat ribbon cable that terminates in a plug. To install the 6 ROM Bank, the user must push the plug into the auxiliary ROM socket located under the hatch on the bottom of the computer. It's possible to push the plug into the socket backwards, but only if you disregard the installation instructions and plug it in before poking the pegs into the prop-leg holes. If you follow the installation instructions in order, there's no chance of messing up -- the ribbon cable is precisely the right length for correct installation, too short to allow you to push the plug in backwards. Once you've installed the plug in the 100's auxiliary ROM socket, you can replace the hatch on the bottom of the computer. The ribbon cable sticks out under the hatch, much the same as a note from the landlord sticks under your door. On my 100, this makes the hatch bulge outward a bit, somewhat reducing its security. It's much easier to pop the hatch off with the ribbon cable in place than it was before I installed the 6 ROM Bank. Still, it's secure enough so I don't worry about it popping off unexpectedly. The next step is to plug a small cable that hangs out of the 6 ROM Bank into the AC adapter port on the side of the Model 100. This lets the computer run off the 6 ROM Bank's internal power supply, which is rechargeable. The 100's AC adapter plugs into a port on the side of the 6 ROM Bank. The fourth and final step of the installation is optional. PCSG provides a velcro-type loop that affixes to the bottom of the Model 100 with adhesive. The loop opens to release the ribbon cable and closes to hold it flat against the bottom of the computer. The ribbon cable that came with my 6 ROM Bank is exactly the right length, so it already lies flat. I attached the velcro strip anyway. It doesn't seem to harm anything, and I can always pull it off my 100 if I decide I don't want it there anymore. The entire installation takes about a minute, even if you decide to use the velcro strip to secure the ribbon cable in place. Removing the 6 ROM Bank -- which I must do if I want my 100 to lie flat in my briefcase -- also takes less than a minute. It couldn't be easier. However, the ease with which the 6 ROM Bank may be removed and reinstalled is somewhat troublesome. The plug that fits into my 100's auxiliary ROM socket has sharp edges; after installing and removing the plug just a few times I could see that it had scratched the soft metal connectors in the ROM socket. It's easy to see that without proper care, frequent installation and removal could eventually bend the connector pins or even break them off. I don't know if there is any real danger of this or if it has ever happened to anyone, but I don't intend to make a habit of jerking the plug out and jamming it in. Better safe than sorry, I say. OPERATION The 6 ROM Bank operates exactly the way the documentation and PCSG's advertisements say it should. No bugs or glitches have presented themselves after a week of use, and I don't anticipate having any trouble with it. The product's black plastic housing seems to be at least as rugged as the Model 100 itself, and the pegs hold it securely in place even when I pick up the computer and give it a good shake. The quality of Cryptronics' workmanship is consistently high. The 6 ROM Bank manual provides accurate tips for preventing a cold-start that could banish the 100's memory contents to bit heaven. It's very important to exit from any program (in RAM or on a ROM), return to the Model 100's main menu and turn the computer off before changing from one ROM bank to another. Any deviation from this procedure results in a cold-start and data loss, exactly as PCSG's manual states. Once the Model 100 is switched off, you change from bank to bank by turning a thumbwheel located on the side of the 6 ROM Bank. The thumbwheel operates much like the 100's LCD contrast control and is located near it. I will admit that I once attempted to adjust LCD contrast and inadvertently switched banks while working on a Lucid model. My spreadsheet disappeared, as did an earlier draft of this article and my copy of Marvin Miller's lengthy EM8SIG electronic mail program. I can't say they didn't warn me. It's also important not to select an empty ROM bank with the thumbwheel. If you have ROMs in the 6 ROM Bank's first three sockets, selecting socket four will cold-start the computer. The first time the 6 ROM Bank is used, it's necessary to enter BASIC and issue the appropriate CALL to activate the option ROM and add the new program name to the Model 100's main menu. The appropriate command is generally CALL 63012 for most ROMs. Surprisingly, this initialization must be performed just once, no matter how many ROMs are installed in the 6 ROM Bank. One feature of the 6 ROM Bank's operation is somewhat disconcerting, even though it isn't a malfunction and the documentation should have prepared me for it. Whenever you switch banks and turn the computer back on, the Model 100's main menu displays the name of the ROM application you used last, not the one you just selected. So if you spend some time working on a Lucid spreadsheet, store it, turn the computer off and use the thumbwheel to select the ROM bank that holds Disk+, the main menu will still show Lucid as a program choice -- and it won't show Disk+. But when you move the wide-bar cursor to Lucid and press Enter, you find yourself running Disk+! This idiosyncracy of 6 ROM Bank operation takes some getting used to. I've solved it for myself by selecting the option ROM program every time I turn my 100 on, then immediately exiting from the program. This updates the menu listing so the ROM program displayed is the one that's actually available. I recommend this procedure to current and prospective 6 ROM Bank users -- no charge. The situation gets even more complicated when you use the 6 ROM Bank to access ROMs from PCSG's competitors. These programs don't delete themselves from the main menu after you run another ROM -- they stay there, even though they're no longer active. A few minutes ago I used Ultimate ROM II's T-View 80 to take a look at this article at 60 characters per line instead of 40. I used F8 to exit from Ultimate ROM II, turned the computer off, used the thumbwheel to select the ROM bank that holds Super ROM, and turned the computer back on. UR-2 appeared on the main menu. I selected UR-2 and pressed Enter, only to find myself at the Super ROM menu. When I pressed Esc to exit from Super ROM, the main menu showed both Super and UR-2. But selecting either program from the main menu returned me to Super ROM. If I switch back to the Ultimate ROM II bank, I can select Super to run UR-2. I trust this irony is not lost on arch-competitors PCSG and Traveling Software. For them, it's a little embarrassing. For me, it's slightly inconvenient and more than slightly amusing. You can decide how you feel about it for yourself. Incidentally, I've found that it's possible to delete UR-2 from the main menu by entering BASIC and KILLing it, with no ill results. This is another no-cost tip to users and prospective users. Not bad for a magazine you didn't even pay for. THE BOTTOM LINE Because the 6 ROM Bank plugs directly into the Model 100's auxiliary ROM socket, bypassing the system bus, there is no apparent reason for it to fail to work with the Tandy 102. However, we haven't tried it. Nor have we tried it with the Tandy 200, though PCSG has advertised a 200-compatible version. After a week or so of use, I'm left with no serious complaints about the 6 ROM Bank. I've found the freedom it gives me to select any of six option ROMs within seconds is addictive; the built-in battery charger is a bonus. The curiously out-of-date main menu display is more annoying than damaging, and I'm not convinced that the unit can cause any real damage to my 100's auxiliary ROM socket, though I'll be watching for it. I'm certain that once I become more accustomed to using the product (and the location of the bank-selection thumbwheel) cold-starts will be a thing of the past. Should you buy a 6 ROM Bank? Maybe. I'd recommend it for anyone who uses multiple ROM-based programs more than occasionally, even though it is fairly expensive. Removing and installing ROMs, no matter who makes them, puts more wear and tear on the auxiliary ROM socket than I'm comfortable with. The 6 ROM Bank lets you switch from ROM to ROM without risk. Even if installing and removing the ROM bank is tough on the socket, odds are you'll be removing the 6 ROM Bank a lot less frequently than you would change ROMs if you rely on more than one. Today, most users don't need the 6 ROM Bank for the simple reason that they don't have more than one ROM. But as prices drop and more firmware applications are released, you're likely to find yourself relying on several ROM-based programs. When that day comes, you'll find the 6 ROM Bank indispensable. Until you've tried it, you'll never understand how much it expands the Model 100's power and versatility. You'll find that it makes you feel taller, able to leap tall buildings at the touch of a function key. If you're balding, you'll grow more hair. You'll gain a few IQ points, and you'll suddenly be better looking. Well, maybe not. But it is likely that you'll meet interesting new people who will be fascinated at the power of the tiny computer you're carrying around with you. And if you're like me, you'll come to rely on immediate access to hundreds of kilobytes of powerful applications. The American Cryptronics/PCSG 6 ROM Bank retails for $269. It's available from Portable Computer Support Group, 11035 Harry Hines Blvd., No. 207, Dallas, TX 75229, (214) 351-0564.