Re: How do I get apple ][ 5 1/4 to Mac ][ci

[shack@deimos.frii.com (Randy Shackelford)]

In article <5lrhfl$5gr$1@darla.visi.com>, Nathan Mates <nathan@visi.com> wrote:
>In article <3380952F.D05@base2media.com>,
>Anthony Mitchell  <amitch@base2media.com> wrote:
>>   I've got an apple 5 1/4 half height drive that I use on my apple //e
>>that look like I should be able to plug right into the back of my Mac
>>][ci. I can't seem to get it to read anything correctly. Is there a
>>special driver for the half height. What is that port for in the back of
>>my mac? (the one with the disk icon above it, not SCSI) 
>
>   Not going to work. Even intuitive pictures are useless; you'll need
>to either read a techincal manual on your Mac or consult online
>references, like here. The only Apple II 5.25" drive that works on
>Macs is those connected to the rather rare //e emulation card that
>only works on certain Macs. [Macs had a drive to read PC 5.25" drives
>years before the emulation card, which shows you whom Apple wanted to
>suck up to, and whom they wanted to shaft]

Uh, in case you weren't using any computers in '87 or so, when the PC 5.25 
drive came out, here are some pertinent facts. Like so many of the Mac's
innovations, 3.5 drives had not been widely adopted by brand X companies at 
that time, so Apple provided the 360K 5.25 drive as a workaround for exchanging
files with people who considered 3.5 disks cute and toyish like all those
other cutesy Mac things like the mouse and windows. Apple IIs already had
file exchange capability via 3.5 disk in '87. 

>   That disk port in back of your Mac is for connecting Apple 3.5"
>drives to, and specifically those that Apple made work with Macs.  I
>think that identical external connectors for compatible and
>incompatible hardware is a rather boneheaded move, but those who
>worship the cult of Mac will probably try and apologize and invent
>reasons for the stupidity. Then there's also the making of the 9-pin
>very much non-serial joystick connector on the //e and up the same as
>the 9-pin serial port from PCs, which does a great job of confusing
>others.

So if you had a //e with a SCSI card and super serial card, would plug your
printer into the SCSI card and your hard disk into the SSC? I think Apple
gives people credit for being able to figure out what plugs into what, or
at least being able to consult a manual. And as far as making their 
connectors the same as different PC connectors, so what?

Gee you're going to some lengths to evangelize your Mac hatred, including
posting to this group when you claim not to like emulators.
-- 
Randy Shackelford                                 
shack@frii.com