Re: Apple IIe Master Disk

["Tom Zuchowski" <tzuchow@attglobal.net>]

I have always understood that making Apple II disks on a PC is impossible,
but you seem to be saying that it is fairly easy to do. Could you give us a
short list of the more common PC floppy controllers that can make Apple
disks? How common are they?. Do you happen to know which PC makers commonly
used these controllers? Which motherboards integrated them?

You stated that any PC drive can make these disks. I would have thought that
modern quad-density drives would make DD Apple disks of questionable
reliability. What has been your experience with that?

You specifically mentioned the "CatWeasel" controller. Are these widely
sold? Where can I get one? Do you know if I can use it in my Pentium III
system? Are drivers available for Windows 98?

I know that is a lot of questions, but I am very excited by the prospect of
accessing disks directly than through a comparatively slow serial cable.

Thank you for your help.

Tom Zuchowski

"Simon Biber" <simon@basilisk2.cjb.net> wrote in message
news:Xqkp6.547$0N3.2777@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> > BTW: The Apple 5.25" drive and the IBM compatable 5.25" drives use
totally
> > different and incompatable hardware to write and read from the floppy.
> There
> > is no way to make these drives make a cross platform (Apple<->IBM)
floppy.
>
> While you can't make a single floppy disk which is cross-platform, the PC
> 5.25" drives are capable of reading and writing Apple II disks if you have
a
> sufficiently advanced controller. One of the listed formats supported by
the
> Catweasel controller is:
>  Apple IIe, 5.25", single-sided 140 KB (from DOS 3.3)
>
> http://members.tripod.com/~apd2/catweasl.htm
>
> Simon.
>
>