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comp.sys.apple2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) part 2/3
- Subject: comp.sys.apple2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) part 2/3
- From: nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)
- Date: 1996/09/01
- Expires: 1 Oct 1996
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
- Organization: Vector Internet Services, Inc.
- References: <50atvi$2rv@darla.visi.com>
- Supersedes: <50au3a$2tl@darla.visi.com>
This is Part #2 of a 3 part posting. Please make sure you have all
3.
[Administrative note: As this FAQ is now more than 100K, I decided to
split it into 3 files for posting to usenet. Also, there are lots of
changes since last month's posting, and I'm planning a lot more work
over the next month. The latest version will always be at
http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html
This is version 4.5.7, dated Aug 31 1996.]
Q#11 A quick note about ProDos filetypes
ProDos keeps some information about a file's type. Files can be text
(TXT), binary (BIN), executable (SYS), fonts (FON), etc. Most other
file systems do not have a place to store this information, so it may
get 'lost' when you upload the file. Similarly, when you download a
file, you may not know the file type. Most comm programs will use some
default. For NuFX archives, this is not a big deal, since you can
still unpack an archive if the filetype is wrong (and the archive
protects the filetype of the files inside the archive). For other
files, you may need to change the file's type. One utility I recommend
is File Attribute Zapper II.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/fazz.2.3.bsq
Q#12 Net standard formats
There are several formats that are used widely on the Internet. The
most common in FTP sites are tar (.tar) and compress (.Z). To undo a
Tape Archive, type 'tar -xvf filename.tar'. To undo a compress, type
'uncompress filename.Z'. Since tar does not make the file smaller, and
compress can only compress 1 file, many times you will find files that
are 'tarred an feathered'. They have a '.tar.Z' extension. Just run
uncompress then un-tar the result. Other USENET groups will use
uuencode (.uu) to send binaries. Just type 'uudecode file.uu'. BinSCII
is better than uuencode because 1>It stores the ProDos filetype. 2>It
splits the file into manageable 12K chunks. 3>It does a CRC checksum
on each chunk.
Most of these 'Unix' standard formats are available on the Apple. See
the table below.
|Type| NuFX | Bin | uuen-| com- |.ZOO | Bin | LZH/| Stuff| ARC | Other|
Program | | | SCII | code | press | | Hex | LHA | -It | | |
--------|-|------|------|------|-------|-----|-----|-----|------|-----|------|
Binscii |e| | X | | | | | | | | |
Shrinkit|e| X | | | | | | | | | |
DeArc |e| | | | | | | | | D | |
Angel[1]|e| | | | X | X | | X | | X | .ZIP |
GShk |g| X | | | D | D | | | D | D | |
GSCII+ |g| | X | X | | | D | | | | .AAF |
sscii |x| | X | X | | | X | | | | |
PMPUnzip|x| | | | | | | | | | .ZIP |
LHext |x| | | | | | | D? | | | |
BSC |c| | E | | | | | | | | |
Nulib |c| X | | | | | | | | | |
SciiBin |c| | D | | | | | | | | |
(Key: E = Encode only, D = Decode only, X = Encode and Decode)
(Type: e = Apple //e, g = GS Only, x = GS EXE file, c = C Source code)
[1] Angel is pretty Buggy, but it's worth a try.
Where to get those programs listed above
This FAQ already lists exactly where to get Binscii and GSCII+ as well
as the Shrinkit programs, as well as the top level directories of
several major ftp sites. To save some hunting around in the directory
structures, Apple II versions of most archive programs are located at
the following places:
Caltech's Apple II Archive: apple2.caltech.edu, pub/apple2/ARCHIVERS
Ground: ftp://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/apple2/Mirrors/caltech/ARCHIVERS
_________________________________________________________________
Q#13 What do the file extensions mean?
Many times, people put filename extensions (extra characters at the
end of a filename) to denote what type of file it is. Please note that
these are just accepted standards. If a file does not indicate it's
type, you will probably have to guess. The following is a table of
some common filename extensions. See the previous section (on
archivers) for programs that will deal with these files.
Extension What is it? (What program do I use?)
--------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Simple files:
.html [TEXT] ASCII text file with (ascii) formatting codes. Used to
format documents on the World Wide Web, some other places.
.htm [TEXT] .html, but the extension got trimmed to 3 characters
.txt [TEXT] An ASCII text file: usually english text.
Archive files:
.aaf [TEXT] Apple Archive Format for source code (aaf.unpacker)
.ACU Applelink Conversion Utility (Shrinkit)
.ARC ARC Archive (IBM ARC, GS Shrinkit, //e Angel or DeArc2E)
.CPT Compactor Pro archive (Compactor Pro on a Mac only)
.BSC [TEXT] BinScii file. (Binscii)
.BSQ [TEXT] BinSCII'ed NuFX file. (Binscii--then Shrinkit)
.BXY NuFX archive with a Binary II header. (Shrinkit)
.BNY BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.BQY NuFX or Binary II with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.BNX NuFX with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.dsk Disk image of 140K 5.25" Apple disk. Requires Apple II with >140K
drives or Apple II and PC/Mac to unpack successfully.
.dsz Gzipped .dsk
.exe [TEXT] Executioner file. May only work in DOS 3.3. See above.
Note: .EXE generally means IBM executable program.
.gz Gzipped file.
.HQX [TEXT] Mac BinHex file. (BinHex on Mac or GSCII+ on GS)
.LZH LZH Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
.LHA LHA Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
.QQ BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.SEA Self-extracting archive (Usually Mac, might be Shrinkit archive)
.SIT Mac StuffIt archive. (Stuffit on Mac (preferred) or GS ShrinkIt;
GS Shrinkit will only decode very old Stuffit files.
.SHK NuFX archive. (Shrinkit)
.SDK NuFX with a shrunk disk image. (Shrinkit)
.tar Unix Tape Archive (Unix 'tar -xvf', GS EXE tar)
.tgz Gzipped .tar file
.uu [TEXT] Unix uuencode file [TEXT] (//e uudecode, Unix uudecode)
.ZOO IBM Zoo Archive (GS Shrinkit or IBM ZOO program, //e Angel)
.ZIP IBM Zip Archive (GS EXE Unzip, IBM PKUNZIP, Unix unzip, //e Angel)
.Z Compressed file (GS Shrinkit, Unix uncompress, //e Angel)
Common graphics file extensions:
.BMP Windows/OS/2 Bitmap format.
.GIF Graphics Interchange Format: Compressed picture.
(IIGIF for //e, many programs for all other computers)
.JPG Newer graphics format. (GS viewers only)
.JPEG Newer graphics format. (GS viewers only)
.TIFF Graphics format (GS SHR Convert and others)
All 'simple' files can usually be opened directly in any word
processor.
All of these types, except the ones marked [TEXT] are BINARY files.
Binary files cannot be sent over e-mail, posted to the newsgroups or
FTP'd in text mode. You must FTP them in binary mode (see the section
on FTP). You can download either with kermit, X-,Y- or Z-Modem.
For a list of Apple II programs capable of unpacking certain graphics
files, please see the section (#50) of this FAQ on viewing graphics.
Generally, anything labeled as 'Archive' above can and do contain
multiple files, and even subdirectories. Most archivers (except for
tar) also compress the files so that they take less disk space and
time needed to download them.
Sometimes you will find multiple filename extensions. Simply take the
filename extensions apart one at a time starting with the rightmost
and you should be able to reconstruct the original file. (i.e.
somefile.bsq.tar.Z would mean: uncompress, untar, unbinscii, then
unShrink to get the original file!)
_________________________________________________________________
Q#14 What is an Apple II? 1/1/95
Q#15 The Apple I
The original Apple was not much more than a board. You had to supply
your own keyboard, monitor and case. It sold for $666.66, but now they
are worth much more as a collector's item.
Q#16 The Apple ][ and Apple ][+
The computers that started the Apple II line. They have the 6502,
ability to do High and Low rez color graphics, sound, plus they have 7
expansion slots to add peripherals. Surprisingly, the ][+ can run some
of today's software. For instance, I've run Davex and FredWriter under
ProDOS. You can even run AppleWorks if you have more than 128K and a
program called PlusWorks.
Recommended configuration: 16K language card (in slot 0 with a ribbon
cable running to the RAM), an 80-column video card (not the same as a
//e 80-column card), shift key modification (a wire running from shift
key to game port), modified character ROMs to do lower case. You can
add memory in various ways, but programs that require 128K probably
will not work, no matter how much RAM you have. You can also add
accelerators like the Rocket/Zip.
Q#17 The Apple //e
The //e comes in two flavors: Enhanced and Unenhanced. Apple makes an
Enhancement kit that will upgrade an unenhanced to enhanced by
replacing 4 chips (CPU [65C02], Video ROM [MouseText], and new
Monitor/Applesoft ROMs). Most current software require an Enhanced
//e, and sometimes 128K too. The current operating system is ProDos
(Version 2.0 or so).
The Apple //e is still useful for three major reasons: 1) It runs
AppleWorks, a simple to use, yet sophisticated Spreadsheet/Word
Processor/Database. 2) There are many Apples in schools, so there is a
ton of educational software for it. 3) It is was and will always be a
_Personal_ computer. You can learn as little or as much as you want,
and nothing stops you from learning about every nook and cranny in it.
Ask any big name programmer in MS/DOS or Mac where they learned to
program. Most of them taught themselves on a good ol' Apple //.
Good programs for an Apple //e: AppleWorks 3.0 or 4.0
(Spreadsheet/Word Processor/Database from Quality Computers), Copy ][+
(file utility from Central Point), ProTerm 3.0
(communications/terminal emulator from InSync), PrintShop
(sign/card/banner printer from Broderbund).
Recommended configuration: Extended 80 Column card (gives you 128K) or
RamWorks (512K to 1MB RAM). Enhancement kit if it was an Unenhanced
//e. A Hard Drive is recommended if you use a lot of different
programs. You can also speed it up with an accelerator (like the
Rocket Chip, Zip Chip or TransWarp).
Q#18 The Apple //C and IIC+
The //c and //c+ are 'luggable' versions of an Enhanced //e, with many
built-in 'cards'. Included are 2 serial ports, a mouse port, a 3.5"
disk port and 128K of RAM. The //C+ has a built-in accelerator that
runs at 4 MHz and a builtin 800K 3.5" drive vs the 140K 5.25" drive of
the //c. Even though they don't have slots, you can still add extra
memory (there's room under the keyboard) and a hard drive (through the
disk port--a bit slow by ordinary standards, but usable. (Hard to find
though.. Was made by Chinook). The //c and //C+ run just about
everything that an Enhanced //e runs. The //C and //C+ cannot connect
to an AppleTalk network.
Recommended configuration: 1 MB RAM, 3.5" drive, maybe a Hard drive.
Q#19 The Laser 128EX
While not made by Apple, this clone is a cross between the //c and an
Enhanced //e. It is as luggable as a //c and has built-in 'cards', and
an accelerator. It also has a slot to expand. If you want to add a
card, you may have to disable the internal UDC (for 3.5" inch drives)
or the internal 1MB memory expansion. Runs almost everything that the
//c and //e runs.
Q#20 The Apple IIGS
The GS represents a giant leap in the Apple // line. It can still run
//e software, but has a better processor (16-bit), a new super-hires
graphics mode, a toolbox in ROM (just like the Mac) and a 32
oscillator Ensoniq sound chip. It can not only run ProDos, but it can
also run GS/OS, a sophisticated operating system very much like the
Macintosh's OS. The original GS ROM 00 (which tended to have the Woz
signature on the front case, though that is no guarantee) one or two
chips upgraded to boot/run current software. The ROM 01 had 256K on
the motherboard, while the ROM 03 has 1 MB. Although there were a few
ROM changes, the current system software will work patch the toolbox
ROMs to look identical.
Recommended configuration: 1.25 MB lets you boot up GS/OS and use most
programs. With 2 MB, you will have room for Desk Accessories. Go for 4
MB if you want a RAM disk (useful if you don't have a hard drive) or
do a lot of Graphics work. Adding a hard drive is highly recommended
for speed and System 6. You can also speed it up with a TransWarp GS
or Zip GS.
Q#21 The Apple ][e Emulation Card
This is a card that fits in certain Macs (LC, LC II, LC III, a few
Performas) that lets one run Apple //e software. It is actually more
like a //c because the card is not expandable like a //e. There is a
place on the back of the card to plug in a UniDisk 5.25" and a
joystick. Because the graphics are handled by the Mac, animation may
be slow if you don't have a decent Mac.
_________________________________________________________________
Q#22 Some Common Questions (with answers!) 2/8/95
Q#23 Info about A2's:
Q#24 What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
A: That indicates how big the chunks of data are that the CPU can
manipulate. The Apple IIGS is a 16-bit machine and all previous Apple
]['s are 8-bit. This is one of the reasons you cannot run GS software
on a //e.
Q#25 How can I tell what version my computer is?
A: Apple //e:
The major division is between the Enhanced and unenhanced models. Look
at your computer while re-booting. If it says "APPLE ][", it is not
enhanced. The enhanced computers will say "Apple //e". You can upgrade
it yourself by getting the Apple //e Enhancement kit. (It contains 4
chips to replace on your motherboard.) Many newer programs will not
work unless you have an Enhanced //e. The //c, //c+, GS, and Laser 128
incorporate these enhancements.
You can see what version of the //e you have by looking for the model
number on the motherboard (in the back, by the power-on led). If it is
820-0064-A, you may have a motherboard that can't do double-hires.
Model #s like 820-0064-B or 820-0087-A are un-enhanced (without the
kit). If you have the grey Apple //e with the built-in keypad, then
you also have: One 128K ROM IC replaced the two 64K Monitor ROM ICs
(the CD and EF ROMs), Two 64Kx4 RAM ICs replaced the eight 64Kx1 RAM
ICs, The single-wire shift-key mod, and an Extended 80-Column Card.
The Apple //e comes in two video standards: PAL (Australia, Europe,
etc) and NTSC (USA, Japan, etc.) If the AUX slot is on the side of the
motherboard near the power supply, you have an NTSC model, whereas if
it is in line with slot 3, you have a PAL model. (Thanks to Steve
Leahy for this one) The PAL revisions are: [Thanks to Dave Wilson for
this]
week 26 1983: 820-0073-A (c) 1982 / B-607-0664
Colour killer switch soldered to vacant oscillator position on PCB.
week 38 1983: 820-0073-B (c) 1982 / B-607-0264
Colour killer switch near RHS of PCB. All chips socketed.
week 7 1985: 820-0073 (c) 1984 / B-607-0264
PCB marked for enhanced ROMs &65c02 (may have old ROMs and 6502).
RAM &some TTL soldered in. Layout same as above.
Apple //GS:
There are 3 major versions of the GS: When you power it up, it should
say "Apple IIgs" at the top of the screen, and possibly some text at
the bottom, which states either ROM 01 or ROM 3. If it does not say
either, you have a ROM 0, the original version. You must upgrade it in
order to run current system software. The ROM 00 or 01 has 256K of RAM
on the motherboard, while the ROM 3 has 1 MB on the motherboard. Most
of the enhancements of the ROM 03 (except the 1MB and a few other
hardware changes, of course) can be added to the ROM 01 simply by
booting up with current system software.
Apple //c:
Go into Basic and type "PRINT PEEK (64447)" and press return. If it
says 255, you have a very old //c. See your dealer about getting an
upgrade (tell them that the Apple authorization number is ODL660). If
it says 0, you can connect a 3.5" drive, but you don't have the memory
expansion connector. If it says 3 You have the memory expansion. If it
says 4, you have the latest model of the //c. If it says 5, you have a
//c+.
Q#26 What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
A: Larry W. Virden (lvirden@cas.org) maintains The Apple II
Programmer's Catalog of Languages and Toolkits. It's archived on
several FTP and HTTP sites.
http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/langs.html
Q#27 Adding Hardware:
Q#28 Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
A: Yes. See the section on SCSI (#85) in this FAQ.
Q#29 Can the Apple II connect to 3.5" drives for other platforms?
A: For Mac 3.5" drives, in general, no. Apple's 3.5" inch drive has
logic to sense which machine it is hooked up to (Apple II or
Macintosh) and it works accordingly. Most 3rd party drives don't
bother to put in Apple II support in their drives. Some may work if
you hook them up to a UDC instead of an Apple 3.5" inch card. Old
style Mac 800k drives are very slow.
IBM PC 3.5" drives (as well as 5.25" drives) can be connected only
with the (discontinued) Applied Engineering PC Transporter card, or
the Bluedisk card from SHH Systems (See the section (#78) of this FAQ
for their address and WWW page).
There are also reports that the "CTI Drive" allows you to hook up IBM
3.5" and 5.25" disk drives (no High Density support yet) to your Apple
II. [IBM drives are cheaper] Some software is included to read MS/DOS
disks on your Apple. Otherwise, ProDos and GS/OS recognize them like
normal drives. Unfortunately, information on this "CTI drive" is
minimal at best.
Q#30 Can I use Macintosh RGB or IBM VGA/SVGA Monitors with my ][?
A: Not normally. Even with the GS's RGB monitor connector, the GS puts
out a 15Khz horizontal refresh signal. Most modern monitors (notable
exceptions are the old NEC Multisync 1 and 2 monitors) require the
signal to be at least 30Khz, and thus won't display the picture.
The one way to bridge the "use Apple II monitors with Apple IIs" rule
of thumb is to purchase the Second Sight (tm) VGA display board from
Sequential Systems. (See the section (#77) of this FAQ for their
address and WWW page). The Second Sight mirrors Apple II video modes
fairly well onto the VGA display, as well as supplying some VGA modes
of their own that programmers have begun to tap into. With it, you can
connect VGA/SVGA monitors to your //e or GS
If you are desperate for a monitor, the Apple II line puts out a video
signal from the back port that can be hooked into the 'line in' port
of a NTSC VCR or modern TVs-- just use a male-male RCA phono jack,
which electronics shops should carry. Alternatively, a 'RF Converter'
(try your local Radio Shack or the equivalent) can be used to connect
that signal to a TV without a 'line in' connector.
Q#31 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
A: Yes, all the above connections have regular serial or parallel
connections. The tricky part is getting them to do what you want. The
DeskJet, for example will print very nice-looking text with regular
old "PR#1". But if you want to change the font or print graphics, you
may have to purchase some software. One excellent program for these
types of printers is PublishIt 4. You won't believe the output you can
get from a //e. For AppleWorks fans, there is the program called
SuperPatch. Among it's patches is a cool DeskJet 500 printer driver.
You can print sideways, and change fonts with normal AppleWorks
commands. The Deskjet driver is built in to AW 4.0 and later.
Q#32 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
A: On the GS, you can hook up a LaserWriter via AppleTalk or direct
serial connection. A GS program can typically print to a LaserWriter
if it's connected to the GS via AppleTalk. If you get a DeskJet, or
PaintJet, etc, you can hook them up via the serial port. But in order
to use them effectively, you will want Harmonie from Vitesse (better)
or Independence (cheaper) from Seven Hills. They are new printer
drivers for GS/OS programs only. If you want to print from an 8-bit
program, see the previous question.
Q#33 Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e or IIGS? Can it do OCR?
A: Yes and Yes. (OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition -- the
ability to convert a scan into text) Just pick up a Quickie scanner
(by Vitesse) and InWords (by WestCode Software). You can scan 4"
columns (you must have 512K to 1 Meg) and can even paste them together
to make 8" scans. Then you can use InWords to "read" text and put it
into a text file or AppleWorks Word Processor file.
Q#34 Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
A: Yes. Call Jameco Electronics (Phone: 1-800-831-4242) S20 PIN HEADER
TO DB19-PIN CONNECTOR MODULE ADAPTS II/II+ DRIVES FOR APPLE IIC. PART
NO: 10022 PRODUCT NO.: AAM APPLE IIC ADAPTER $3.95
If you don't mind some soldering, you can make this cable up yourself.
Take a look at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/diskiicable.html
Q#35 What's the scoop on the HD (1.44MB) 3.5" drive?
A: In order to do High Density on the Apple //, you will need both the
High Density 3.5" drive and the new Apple 3.5" controller. If you
don't have both, you will only be able to do regular density (800K).
Of course, you will also need High Density Disks.
Once you have collected the above items, you are in for a pleasant
surprise. ProDos 8 programs not only recognize it, but most programs
format and recognize HD disks just fine. You can even boot off of a HD
disk, allowing plenty of room for GS/OS Desk Accessories and such.
There are a few drawbacks: You cannot boot copy-protected software or
(or some FTA demos.) You can't daisy-chain a 5.25" of a HD card. Also,
it takes up a slot, even on the GS.
Q#36 I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
A: Redmond Cable has an ADB Y-connector cable for separating your
mouse from the side of your keyboard (also can be used to work around
a failing ADB port on the keyboard). See the 'Resources' section of
this FAQ.
Q#37 How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
A: There's a card called Turbo IDE, does DMA, is as fast as a RamFAST
SCSI card. See http://users.ids.net/~kerwood/shh.html, or contact
jlange@tasha.muc.de for details like technical specs, pricing, and S/H
procedure.
Q#38 File Transfer:
Q#39 How can I transfer stuff to/from an IBM/Mac?
A: Here's a summary: [Note that you can always do transfers by modem
or Null Modem]
Q#40 File transfer: Apple //e --->Macintosh
* Apple File Exchange (comes with Mac system software) allows you to
copy to/from ProDos (3.5") disks.
* There's the IIe Emulation Card that fits into the LC, LC II, LC
III, Performa 400 and the Color Classic. The card has a port for a
5.25" drive, from which you could copy things to/from the Mac.
* The ProDos File System Manager is an init (available via FTP) that
allows you to use ProDos 3.5" disks as if they were normal Mac
disks. [You will have to download the entire disk to get that one
file.] ftp://ftp.apple.com dts/aii /aii/lc.iiecard
* A //e to Imagewriter cable can function as a null-modem to connect
serial ports. Use communication software on both ends.
Q#41 File transfer: Apple //e <-- Macintosh
* With Macintosh System 7, the Macintosh gained the ability to write
to ProDOS formatted disks. With System 7.5 and up, the Control
Panel 'PC Exchange' lets you mount ProDOS and MS-DOS disks on the
desktop and copy files to and from them. Before 7.5, the program
'Apple File Exchange' (not installed by default-- look through the
options in the installer) is an application that lets you do the
same.
Unfortunately, if a Macintosh program (such as the program you're
using to download a file) adds a 'resource fork' to a file, then
programs not running under GS/OS (such as Binscii, Shrinkit 3.4,
Appleworks, etc) can not read them, giving a 'FILE TYPE MISMATCH'
error. If you are comfortable with ResEdit or other filetype
changers, you can apparently change the type and creator to 'TEXT'
and 'pdos', before copying it to the ProDOS disk.
If this gets monotonous, or you don't know how to run ResEdit,
there is a Mac program to fix this problem, however; download,
unpack and run the following programs on any files that have had
their resource fork added. (For information on downloading and
unpacking Macintosh programs, please see the comp.sys.mac.misc
FAQ, or ask a friend)
ftp://mirrors.aol.com/mir02/INFOMAC/info-mac/disk/file-stripper-ut
ilities.hqx
* The programs A2FX and HFSLink will allow you to read Mac disks in
3.5", 3.5" HD, or even a HFS hard drive. Note that most Apple II
3.5" disks are of the 800K variety, and a 1.44MB disk can not be
read in them.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu apple2/8bit/util/a2fx.8.bsq
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/8bit/util/hfslink.b3.bsq
* See Mac ->//e question about null-modems
Q#42 File transfer: Apple //e --->IBM
* If the computers are close enough, get a null-modem cable and
communication software with file-transfer capability for both
computers.
* See below about CrossWorks.
Q#43 File transfer: Apple //e <-- IBM
* See below about CrossWorks.
* If you have a new Apple High Density 3.5" Drive and High Density
3.5" controller card, then you can use the program MSDOSCOPY (via
FTP) to read IBM disks, even HD ones.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/8bit/util/msdos.cnvt.bsq
Q#44 File transfer: Apple IIGS --->Macintosh
* See above for //e to Mac, or below for Mac to GS
Q#45 File transfer: Apple IIGS <-- Macintosh
* GS/OS 6.0 will read and write Mac disks just fine if you have the
HFS FST installed. (See the resources section for info on how to
get GS/OS)
* Note that you want to read high density (HD) disks, you will need
BOTH the Apple HD 3.5" drive AND the HD 3.5" Drive Controller
Card.
* See also notes about null-modem above
Q#46 File transfer: Apple IIGS --->IBM
* The Applied Engineering PC Transporter has a utility to copy files
from MS/DOS to/from ProDos (regardless of disk size).
Unfortunately, the PCT often has problems and AE is unwilling to
actively support the card.
* There is always null-modem cables. (see above)
Q#47 File transfer: Apple IIGS <-- IBM
* If you have a new Apple High Density 3.5" Drive and High Density
3.5" controller card, then you can use GS/OS 6.0.1's MSDOS FST to
read IBM 3.5" disks. Note that Apple 5.25"s don't have the
hardware to read/write IBM 5.25" disks.
* There is always null-modem cables. (see above)
Q#48 How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
A:If you get a 'File Type Mismatch' error on a file you transferred
via a mac, then you will need to remove the resource fork from the
file. See the section (#39) on file transfer from Macintosh to Apple
II for where to get that program.
In general, only certain types of files can be usefully transferred
back-and-forth between computers. One thing that you CANNOT do is run
programs designed for another type of computer. But often you can
transfer data files between similar programs (Spreadsheets) on
different platforms. Here are some pointers:
One helpful hint is that all computers can read text files. Most word
processors can save your file as text and import as text. But with
text files, you will loose all your formatting (font type, centering
and so-forth). For spreadsheets, saving as DIF will make conversion a
breeze. Databases can be saved as tab-delimited records. (Note that in
AppleWorks, you have to go to Print to save in these formats). Look
for options like "Import" or "Export" (or "Save As" in the Mac world).
If you want to do better, there are several options available. A
commercial program called MacLinkPlus can do some conversions. Some
Claris programs do conversions automatically. Also, AFE can convert
between some kinds of documents (For example AppleWorks Word Processor
to MsWorks) if you have the right translator.
ftp://sumex-aim.stanford.edu/info-mac/util/afe-appleworks-msworks.hqx
For IBM folks, The CrossWorks program can convert between many Apple
and IBM formats, and even comes with a universal null modem cable.
Alternately, If you use AppleWorks a lot, you can get SuperWorks for
the IBM, a clone of AppleWorks. It can import AppleWorks files
directly. For graphics, SuperConvert can convert between all
Apple-specific graphics formats and many Mac, Amiga and IBM specific
formats. It can also save as GIF, which is a universal standard.
You can also play Mac sounds resources (the sort you keep in the
system folder as alert sounds) with IISound.
Q#49 How do I get cool Mac Icons and fonts onto my GS?
A: Find the program "Resource Spy"
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/pub/apple2/gs/util/resource.spy.bsq
Q#50 What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
A: There are quite a few:
* IIGIF is a freeware GIF converter for any Apple II (but there is a
patch needed for the Apple //c). It reads in GIF and saves as
hires or double-hires.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/8bit/graphics/iigif.bsc
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/8bit/graphics/iic.patch.for.
iigif
* MACDOWN is also freeware and lets you do the same with MacPaint
pics.
* A ProDos 8 version of The Graphics Exchange (don't know much about
it).
[The following software only work on an Apple IIGS]
* Convert 3200 is one of the best programs still being sold for
graphics conversion on the GS. A short list of file formats it
handles is: Apple Preferred Format (GS) and PaintWorks Gold
format, various 3200 color GS formats, as well as Windows-OS/2
BMP, Compuserve GIF, Amiga .IFF/ PC .LBM, Paintbrush PCX, Binary
PC and several varieties of TIFF files. It can save in a number of
those: Apple Preferred, Windows BMP, Paintbrush PCX, TIFF, Binary
PC and Print Shop GS.
For more information, please see
http://www.crl.com/~joko/convert.html.
* The Graphics Exchange converts between many formats of graphics.
* Prizm v1.0 Converts .GIFs, Amiga IFFs, Raw Files, and some other
types to Grayscale (very fast), 16 colors, 256 colors, and 3200
colors! Size of picture limited by availabe RAM (Not sure where
it's available from anymore)
* SuperConvert loads all GS formats, plus GIFS and other non-GS
specific formats and saves in all GS formats (including Finder
Icon files). It has more dithering options than most of the other
programs, but you may have to play with it to find the best one.
* SHRConvert is the earlier, shareware, predecessor to SuperConvert.
It does a pretty good job on the types of graphics it supports.
[SHRConvert used to be available for download at
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/gs/graphics/shrconvert.2.1.b
sq, but it's gone missing. When I or someone else finds where it
went to, I'll add it aback in.]
* Platinum Paint is a commercial program that can import all GS
formats plus MacPaint. It can only save in SHR and Apple
Preferred. Version 2.0 can make Animations too! Platinum Paint was
sold by Scantron Quality Computers.
* ShowPic 6 is a shareware NDA that can display most GS formats. You
can also save the resulting graphic as a IIGS SHR painting.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/gs/gsos/nda/showpic.6.0.bsq
* Dream Grafix supports all 3200 color picture types and also 16
color and 256 color pictures. This is a very impressive commercial
paint program with its 3200 color support. Unfortunately it is
pretty much out of print.
Note: 'All GS formats' includes Superhires (type $C1 and $C0), hires,
double-hires and PrintShop/PrintShop GS.
Q#51 I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk. How do I get it into
ProDos?
A: The //e system software, the DOS 3.3 FST (GS/OS System 6), and Copy
][+ can all read convert Dos 3.3 files into ProDOS (but the DOS 3.3
FST can not do the reverse transfer). This is only helpful for text
files, graphics, and some Basic programs. For ProDos, CPM, Pascal, Dos
3.3, try the program Chameleon. You have to use the 'force disk as
ProDOS' option to use your hard drive.
ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/apple2/8bit/util/chameleon.bsq
Q#52 How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
A: ProDos has no problems with this, as long as you copy by files.
Note that ProDos can only have 51 files in the main directory. If you
try to exceed that, it will give you a cryptic 'Disk Full' error. If
there really is space left on the disk, you can copy all the files
into a subdirectory to get around the 51-file limit. In theory, you
can put an unlimited number of files in a Subdirectory, but in
practice, you should limit them to a few hundred.
_________________________________________________________________
Email suggestions to nathan@visi.com. As always, let me know of any
mistakes, updates, corrections, additions, etc.
There are a lot more questions with answers not included directly in
this FAQ; please see http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq for more of
them.
CopyLeft 1996 by Nathan Mates (Nathan Mates)
--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/ <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? -R.A. Heinlein
--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/ <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? -R.A. Heinlein