Re: AppleBC

[casa@unm.edu (Jim Pittman)]

Re:

> Subject: Re: AppleBC
> Date: 21 Mar 2000 22:53:23 GMT
> From: Al Crout <acrout@vcn.bc.ca>
> Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
> Organization: Vancouver CommunityNet
>
> Wayne Stewart <waynes@intergate.bc.ca> wrote:
> : One of the Mac members did try a few shots with an older digital
> : video camera however the resolution is poor.
>
> I wonder if the current crop of digital cameras has one that offers
> jpeg image format that can be transferred directly to the IIGS
> serial port?
> -- al

Interesting question. The answer is "yes" if you have an Apple IIgs
with hardware/software that can read a PC-formatted 1.44-meg floppy.

The Sony Mavica cameras write a JPG file to a PC-formatted disk. You
can pop the disk into a Windows machine and easily grab the picture.
If you have an older Macintosh (i.e., before the iMac and the Blue &
White G3 machines abandoned 3.5" disk technology) with a standard
floppy drive, you can pop the disk into your Mac and easily grab the
picture (you could use something like GraphicConvertor or Photoshop
or QuickTime to look at and/or edit the picture).

I do this all the time using my 1998 PowerBook G3 (it does have a
a floppy drive) and it works great. I bought a Mavica camera for the
specific reason that I wanted to get pictures into my Macintosh just
by popping in a 3.5" disk with no cables or adapters needed.

The Mavica cameras can record photos in several ways and can format
a PC disk, erase JPG files from a disk, and even copy one PC disk to
a blank disk, so you don't have to have a PC to do basic disk and
file management; you can do it with the camera itself. I tend to
use the "fine" setting which records about 20 JPGs on a 1.44 disk.

I believe the Sony Mavicas are the only cameras that use 3.5" disks.

An Apple IIgs running GS/OS 6.0.1 with a 4-meg memory card, a 3.5
Disk Drive controller, a Superdrive 1.44-meg 3.5" drive, SuperConvert
and MUG! can easily read the PC disk, copy JPG files from the disk,
then "SuperConvert" them to Apple Preferred or SHR format. A good
accelerator would make the "SuperConvert" process a little faster.

I wonder how many Apple IIgs systems are equipped with the above
hardware/software or equivalent? Even for those who have such a
well-equipped IIgs, I'd say, before spending $500 to $950 on a Sony
Mavica camera, think about getting a good used PC or Mac so you can
do something with the pictures in their full resolution, because the
resolution on the IIgs will be mediocre. Still, it can be done.
-- 
Jim Pittman - AppleQuerque Computer Club - where owners/users of real
Apple II computers are an endangered species now. casa AT unm DOT edu
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