Re: Word Processor wars - QA Write runs on the GS

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

> In an earlier article, Donald 'X-caiver' Pattee Jr <afn45687@afn.org> wrote:
> >I have that [PC Transporter] board in my GS. I mainly use it for a
> >controller so my apple 3.5 drive can readand write PC formatted
> >floppies (720k ones). It does run things faster than the original
> >IBM did(about 3 times, that sounds about correct), and if you add a
> >math coprocessor chip (standard PC issue for that model of CPU
> >(easily attainable through parts catalogs)) it will go even faster.

Code execution may be faster than the original PC (but slower than the
original PC/AT), but disk I/O is considerably slower than a real PC.

> >It does ANSI and all the ansi colour codes, as well as CGA (or was
> >it EGA) graphics.

CGA.

> >It interfaces to all the standard GS ports, so you can use whatever
> >printer you already have (including the ImageWiter 2)

True, printers work fine.  Modems aren't so good - you can't get
throughput faster than about 240 characters per second, so forget
using high-speed modems.

I've had lots of problems using a mouse with the PC Transporter
(button clicks were very unreliable).

In article <fd83934@pro-palmtree.cts.com>,
Richard Der <rder@pro-palmtree.cts.com> wrote:
>  
> Does it work transparently? That is, do the PC programs show up as
> icons on the Finder that you can launch?

Not automatically.  The PCT is supplied with a utility that allows you
to create a ProDOS-8 SYS file which starts up the PC Transporter and
issues an arbitrary MS-DOS command.  I have used this to launch my
main PC applications (from the QuickLaunch utility in Finder).

For normal operation, the PC Transporter is clear "mode break" - you
launch STARTAEPC or AEPC.SYSTEM, and the PC Transporter takes over the
whole computer until you exit to ProDOS.

> And does the PC floppy access feature show up as a disk icon on the
> Finder desktop (w/the MS-DOS FST)?

Yes and no.  If you have a real PC drive (Applied Engineering
TransDrive) you can access MS-DOS disks from Finder via the PC
Transporter (read only).

An Apple 3.5 Drive can be connected to the PCT, but it only allows
access to MS-DOS 720K disks while running as a PC, not as a disk
controller for the Apple II.  It is much slower than a real PC 3.5"
drive, is also considerably slower at accessing Apple disks, and is
not compatible with software that bypasses the simple firmware entry
points or uses copy protection.

> Also, do the PC programs see the printer directly, or is there
> some kind of translation? DeskJets and Epsons would work directly,
> but most DOS software do not have ImageWriter drivers.

There is an Epson-to-ImageWriter translator provided with the PCT.
(I've rarely used it, because I just takes files to work and print
them on our HP Laserjet).

Any other printer should be able to used with its native command set.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand