Strider Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 I mentioned in another thread that I have a project I want to do that involves encasing a MOS 6502 in resin and made a sort of display to showcase the processor that powered my childhood, and basically most of the 80's. EMwhite was kind enough to donate one to me (Thank you)! Now, I am in the market for another one or two to actually play with in the future when I have more free time. So, I went back to eBay. There are always 6502s for sale, but I also see some that are REALLY cheap, from China. Of course, I am not an authentic MOS 6502 expert, but these make me leery. What are your opinions on ones like these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/383721043079 https://www.ebay.com/itm/164191846570 The sellers have good feedback, but that's not always a cut and dry indicator since I have seen "fake" feedback in the past, but normally in lower numbers than these. Heck, I won't be out much if they are fake, but still... Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 I feel like the second one looks suspect to me. The traditional "WWYY" (week and year) code looks completely fake, but it may be they used some other encoding at different times. Also, it looks a little too shiny for a company that hasn't existed for at least 27 years (I don't know how long they kept using MOS and when they started using CSG as I've seen on some chips). If the first one is fake, they certainly when to a lot of effort to not just sand and paint it, but to also scuff it up so that it looks like a well worn chip. Mind you, this all depends on whether they're using their own pictures vs just grabbing something from someone else online. The second one does use that as a disclaimer that it is a representative photo from long ago, but that WWYY still bugs me. Is there a reason why you can't play with a W65C02? I know it isn't MOS, but you can get certified new from reputable sources. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Note: Wikipedia article claims MOS was stamped on chips until 1989, for what that's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 4 minutes ago, Scott Robison said: Is there a reason why you can't play with a W65C02? I know it isn't MOS, but you can get certified new from reputable sources. To be perfectly honest, I really have no reason to not use a modern W65C02 replacement, other than pure nostalgia. I very well may go down that road just because I am so distrustful of eBay listings like those for "original" MOS 6502s. It's also a lot cheaper than a vintage 6502. I am seriously thinking of investing in Ben Eaters kit and moving it all off breadboards and onto a PCB. Of course, that will be some time in the future, when time permits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 1 minute ago, Strider said: To be perfectly honest, I really have no reason to not use a modern W65C02 replacement, other than pure nostalgia. I very well may go down that road just because I am so distrustful of eBay listings like those for "original" MOS 6502s. It's also a lot cheaper than a vintage 6502. I am seriously thinking of investing in Ben Eaters kit and moving it all off breadboards and onto a PCB. Of course, that will be some time in the future, when time permits. I actually just ordered Ben Eater's kits today (8 bit CPU and the 6502 computer). Looking forward to getting them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Oh, one more thing I meant to say: Even if an image is legit, there is no guarantee that the chip hasn't gone bad / been damaged / whatever in holding, processing, or transit. Of course, the same is true of new parts as well, but I think a reputable seller is more likely to treat stock professionally than some fly by night organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, Scott Robison said: Oh, one more thing I meant to say: Even if an image is legit, there is no guarantee that the chip hasn't gone bad / been damaged / whatever in holding, processing, or transit. Of course, the same is true of new parts as well, but I think a reputable seller is more likely to treat stock professionally than some fly by night organization. Yeah, I am always leery about that, even with modern hardware. You just never know. A good modern example is GPU crypto mining, those cards are ran hard for very long periods, then sold off to gamers. While that GPU may have a lot of life left in it, it's most certainly a larger risk than a card only used for gaming. When I go to sell my modern hardware, I always go into as much detail on the items handling and usage while in my possession, and include plenty of photos. Because that's what I look for myself. I want the buyer to know I care about my parts and take very good care of them. Both modern and vintage. Edited August 2, 2021 by Strider Typing half asleep. :P 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMwhite Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 (edited) I bought the handful of MOS 6502 from a seller on eBay only to get CPUs which looked very different when received. I wanted one for a picture frame/wall hanging project, and a few just to have. Silly me, I had a primo example of the coveted MOS logo'd 6502 in my possession already. This started life in a 1541 disk drive. When I bought my first PET 4032 in the early 2000s it arrived DOA. Convinced it was the CPU, I swapped it only to find that it was not that at all. The PET was moved into the garage where it hosted pets of its own (a family of mice). I won't ruin the mojo here with a picture of that unless somebody really wants to see it. Otherwise, here is the result of the original 1541 MOS 6502 CPU mounted in an Apple II rev 0 reproduction board which I partially populated to highlight a dozen or so innovations that the original Apple II brought to the [then new] market. Edited August 22, 2021 by EMwhite 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rje Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 Ben helpfully notes that the newer 65C02's have static elements that let you "stop the clock" without losing data. There are other benefits as well of course. In short, they're not just newer, they're better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 New, improved, and lemon scented! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceMcF Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, rje said: Ben helpfully notes that the newer 65C02's have static elements that let you "stop the clock" without losing data. There are other benefits as well of course. In short, they're not just newer, they're better. And the RDY line only worked in one direction (I forget which, because I can rationalize a 70s style argument either way ... Reads? - "waddya need RDY for a write, just put in a latch!" / Writes? "If you have a slow data source, it should have a READY bit that says when it is free to be read!"), while the 65C02 RDY line works for both reads and writes. Edited August 4, 2021 by BruceMcF 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted August 4, 2021 Author Share Posted August 4, 2021 Yeah, the short of it is.... I'm going to pick up a couple 65C02's for "playing around". More reasons to do that, over my pure nostalgia reasons for a vintage 6502. :P Also, as far as the Apple picture, the only thing I see wrong is ... I don't see anything wrong. My knowledge of Apple computers ls limited. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Robison Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 11 hours ago, Strider said: Yeah, the short of it is.... I'm going to pick up a couple 65C02's for "playing around". More reasons to do that, over my pure nostalgia reasons for a vintage 6502. Also, as far as the Apple picture, the only thing I see wrong is ... I don't see anything wrong. My knowledge of Apple computers ls limited. lol The thing I see wrong is that it is an Apple and not a Commodore or Commander. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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