Re: Apple ][ -Mac link

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

[Please note that discussion is inappropriate on comp.binaries.apple2
and the topic is not relevant to comp.sys.apple2.usergroups, so I've
restricted this followup to comp.sys.apple2.  Can everyone else please
check their Newsgroup list when following up messages.]

In article <4q6uuk$8na@urvile.msus.edu>,
Bill Scheffler <schefflr@news.msus.edu> wrote:
> BinaryMan (adjohann@global.co.za) wrote:
> : Is there a way to make a little "network" between my Mac and my Apple II.
> : If yes, what exactly would I need and how complicated would it be for a
> : newbie of Apple II??
> 
> 	What model is your Apple II?  You'll need a workstation card for
> the Apple //e.  If you have an Apple IIgs, AppleTalk is built in.  As far
> as I know, any other II is not networkable.	

Not on AppleTalk, anyway.  There are other (older) networking systems
which could work right back to the ][+, but I doubt that any of them
are easy to get hold of, or support the Mac.

The Apple II Workstation card requires a 128K enhanced IIe (it might
also work in a IIgs, but I haven't tried it yet).

> : Would a Iomega Zip work with an Apple II?? Would I need an extra cable or
> : something like that??
> 
> 	Yep.  However, you'll need a SCSI card of somesort.  I believe
> their is a RAMFast card available for the //e now.

There has been a RamFast card available for the IIe for quite a long
time - the revision C RamFast works fine (but the revision D does
not).  I'm not sure if you can still buy the revision C card new.

> If you want a less expensive alternative (and slower) find a Apple
> High Speed SCSI card.  Again, I'm sure this above option is also
> limited to the Apple //e and //gs (maybe the II+ can support SCSI).

The Apple High-Speed SCSI card requires an enhanced IIe (it might work
in a II+ or unenhanced IIe with a 65C02, 65802, ZIP Chip or Rocket
Chip; you would have to disable DMA if you use an accelerator, so you
would lose any speed benefit).  I'm not sure if the RamFast requires a
65C02.

The original Apple SCSI card will work on a II+ or unenhanced IIe, BUT
it probably doesn't work too well with a Zip drive - its firmware
doesn't know about removable SCSI devices (except CD-ROMs), so at the
very least you would have to reboot the computer if you wanted to
change disks.

The original Apple card is considerably slower than either of the
other two cards, but you should be able to get one much cheaper
(assuming you can find one).
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand