Zip It

Zip Technology, makers of the once long-delayed Zip Chip for the Apple II, used Boston's AppleFest to announce its newest accelerated microprocessor replacement.

The new Zip Chip model runs at 8 MHz, eight times the normal speed of the Apple II +, Iie, or IIc microprocessor and twice the speed of the original 4-MHz Zip Chip. Replacing the Apple's standard microprocessor with the new, faster Zip Chip is as easy as opening the computer case, removing the old CPU and pushing in the Zip. Nineteen variable speed options are available in the 8-MHZ Zip Chip speed settings are done from the keyboard.

The 8-MHZ Zip Chip retails for $199, compared with $149 for the original 4-MHz model.

Zip Technology also preannounced its Apple IIGS accelerator board, the Zip-GS. Not yet available for release, the $299 board will, according to Zip, increase the speed of the IIGS by as much as 300 percent. The 8-MHz Zip-GS will also accelerate up to two megabytes of memory in the IIGS, Zip-GS provides 150 speed settings.

For more information about the 8-MHz Zip Chip and the Zip-GS, contact Zip Technology at 5601 West Slauson Avenue Suite 190, Culver City, California 90230: (213) 337.1313.