Re: trying to get an Apple II GS going for fun...

[nobody@wavetech.net (Greg Buchner)]

In article <3733c678.15119954@news.direct.ca>, wizard@direct.ca (Astro) wrote:

> It then becomes a "disk
> image" item. I then use a program called CopyDisk to place the "disk
> image" file onto the 800k floppy...

It's actually DiskCopy.  The current version is 6.3.3 obtainable from
Apple's web and ftp sites.  It comes as a self-mounting image (smi).

> Given this, these are my questions:
> 
> 1] If this is a plausible method of transferring a system disk, what
> is a plausible method of transferring individual "executable" and
> other files [like games], same way? as or like a "disk image"?

If you have access to a Mac and are downloading the files on a PC,
simply put the files on an MS-DOS disk, copy them on to a Mac, then
from the Mac copy the files onto an HFS disk.  Make sure you've 
installed the HFS.FST on the IIGS so it can read HFS disks and you've
got a fairly easy way to transfer files.

> 2] What the heck IS a "Disk Image" actually anyways?

A disk image is basically a block by block representation of a disk.
On a Mac, disk images can be mounted and used like floppies.  One
thing to note, there are a few types of disk images, Disk Copy 4.2
which is compatible with a IIGS program called Clone, Disk Copy 6+'s
New Disk Image Format which can't be read on the GS, but Disk Copy 6
can save as Disk Copy 4.2 files.  Then there's ShrinkWrap 3.0 disk
images of which I know very little.

> 3] Do all usable files for the Apple IIGS come as "disk images?" or
> can they some in a similar way that say PC files come [with
> extensions]? 

Nope, most useable files for the IIGS would come as either ShrinkIt
(SHK) or ShrinkIt files than have been converted to Binscii to be a
text readable format (BSQ?).

> 4] Is an 800k 3.5" floppy disk described as a piece of hardware as a
> "DSDD" disk?

Yes.

> 5] Where in Vancouver can you get 800k 3.5" floppies?!?!?!?!?!? [I

No idea, they're even hard to find where I am.

Greg B.
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