Re: How to read old Apple floppies on Mac?

[Avery Raskin <araskin@mac.com>]

In article <ysbP6.6652$r4.412129@www.newsranger.com>,
 Ted Shoemaker <nospam@newsranger.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> My parents had either an Apple ][e or ][+ (sorry, I forget which). On 
> that machine, they generated a lot of files, which are saved on 5 1/4 
> inch floppies. Is there a way to read those files now?  
> 
> (I don't care whether the new machine reading it is a Mac or PC; 
> whether the operating system is Mac, Windows, Linux, BeOS, or DOS. 
> Can someone tell me how to do this?)
> 
> Note:  Someone might, "Just print the files out, and then scan the 
> paper copy." But since the Apple's printer in a dot-matrix, that 
> solution doesn't work.

Well, stretching the envelope here a little, since we're talking about a 
loooooooong time ago, but...

1) IIRC, pre-Mac Apples used DOS as their OS, ergo the floppies you have 
are DOS.

2) It follows that any machine with an appropriate size drive and DOS 
will be able to read the files...note that doesn't mean the machine in 
question will be able to open the files, just copy the bytes to its hard 
drive in a consistent fashion.

3) Once transferred, you should be able to copy/FTP/email the files to a 
Macintosh.

There are some assumptions here, the first of which is that these files, 
whatever they are, contain information formatted in a way that modern 
applications will understand. You will have the best luck if they are 
straight text. If they are documents from some long lost Apple ][ 
application, you will have difficulty opening them.

One alternate suggestion -- get hold of a local Apple users group. You 
will probably find *someone* who actually still has a ][ on hand with 
its 5 1/4 " drive and they can manipulate the files for you.