Re: Can a PC make Apple II disks ?

[pausch@saafNOSPAM.se (Paul Schlyter)]

In article <lry15.209$eI.7417@news1.online.no>,
Vidar \"Hawk\" Olavesen <olavese@online.no> wrote:
 
> I have an Apple IIe, with two drives. I wonder if I could download stuff
> from Internet and make Apple II usable disks on my PC ?
 
No, you cannot do that.  The standard disk hardware on the PC cannot
read Apple II disks, due to fundamental incompatibilities on how bits
are stored on the respective disks.  To read or write Apple II disks
on the PC will require special hardware.  Some 15+ years ago there
actually were special disk controller cards for the PC which enabled
it to read Apple II disks, but it's a very long time since I last saw
it advertised.
 
> I have a 5 1/4" drive in my PC, 1.2Mb capable. Any software to unpacked
> files downto floppies or whatever way they are stored on Internet ?
> Any hints on how to get software onto Apple II floppies would be
> greatly appreciated.
 
You need three things:
 
1. A serial card for your Apple II - either the Super Serial Card, or the
older Communications Card.
 
2. A null modem cable between your Apple II and your PC.
 
3. Software to transfer data between your PC and your Apple II.  One
of the more popular software packages for this is ADT - Apple Disk
Transfer - which consists of one PC program and one Apple II program,
plus instructions on how to get ADT to the Apple for the first time.
The standard version of ADT requires a Super Serial Card -- should
you have the older Communications Card instead, I have a special
version of ADT which works on the Comm. Card - if so, drop me a line.
ADT is available at most Apple II software archives, such as Asimov,
Tarnover, etc.
 
 
> I am totally new to Apple, used Atari's, C64's, Sinclair's, but never
> Apple.  Where do I begin to learn about the machine ? Good sites also
> welcome.
 
Start by following this newsgroup for at least a few weeks.  You'll
get plenty of tips, links, etc from various people here.
 

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter,  Swedish Amateur Astronomer's Society (SAAF)
Grev Turegatan 40,  S-114 38 Stockholm,  SWEDEN
e-mail:  pausch at saaf dot se   or    paul.schlyter at ausys dot se
WWW:     http://hotel04.ausys.se/pausch    http://welcome.to/pausch