Re: Iomega Parallel Zip?

[johnlb@primenet.com (John Bowling)]

In article <519h5r$bo5@darla.visi.com>, Nathan Mates <nathan@visi.com> wrote:
>In article <5192cc$4rd@news2.widomaker.com>,
>Richard Sarner <rsarner@widomaker.com> wrote:
>>Out of curiosity, would an Iomega Zip parallel drive work with a GS and a
>>parallel card? It wouldn't be the ideal way to go, but would it work at
>>all?
>
>   You need a bidirectional parallel card/port to support non-printer
>parallel devices. Unfortunately, it appears like 95% or more of the
>printer cards for the Apple II didn't meet this requirement. (Only the
>ProFile card was one, and those are fairly rare)
>
>   Then, someone would need to write a driver. From what I understand,
>the Parallel Zip is a scsi device with a scsi <-> parallel converter
>internally, and then a reverse driver on the PC side.

If that's true, then you should be able to use it as an internal scsi
drive by simply plugging a daisy chain cable into the internal scsi port
on the Zip.  I was just at a local (Phoenix) computer swap meet and saw
a half dozen Parallel Zips for around $90.  I opted to buy a 520M Seagate
ST3600N (for $120) which works fine added to my Quantum LPS525S and
Seagate ST277N-1, all daisy chained in a mini tower.  Using an Apple HS
Scsi card, I can get all partitions (21) at once.  I tried also using a
RamFast (max 12 partitions at one time), and both together (system crashed
about every 15 minutes - it has a high current PS  [not the one in the
tower]).

I wouldn't mind adding the Zip, if it could be just plugged in.  And $90
is a lot better than $200.

John

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