Re: Apple2-PC file transfer program

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

In article <4kcqbt$i31@news.cco.net>, Bob & Sydney  <ste-lar1@cco.net> wrote:
> We are looking for a program that will allow our 486 PC to read data from 
> an Appleworks disk on our Apple2gs.  We have heard of such a program 
> designed to be run on the PC that would read the Appleworks data, but 
> that was a few years ago, and unfortunately we didn't buy it then.

There are two programs I can think of which you might have heard
about:

1. "CrossWorks", which is software for transferring files between a PC
   and Apple II (either way), with transformation of file formats.  It
   requires an Apple II and PC, and includes cables for connecting the
   two machines.

2. "SuperWorks", which is an AppleWorks workalike for the PC.  I don't
   have any information on it handy, but I think it was able to read
   AppleWorks files directly, PROVIDED they have been transferred to a
   PC disk first.

A PC is physically incapable of reading files from a standard Apple II
5.25" (140K) or 3.5" (800K) disk, because the two machines use
different disk formats, and neither controller is able to read the
other format.  (It can be done with special hardware, but this is very
rare on the PC side.)

Your options are:

1. Set up a serial or modem connection between the PC and IIgs, and use
   communications software to transfer files between them.

2. Use a machine which can access both disk formats as a go-between.
   Most Macs are able to handle Apple II and PC 3.5" disks.  It is also
   possible to add hardware and software to the IIgs to access PC disks
   directly, but this may be expensive and/or difficult to obtain.

In either case, you will usually also have to transform the files into
a usable format.

Text files are _almost_ transferrable without change.  The only
difference is that the two machines use a different character sequence
to makr the end of a line.  The Apple II uses a "carriage return"
character, while the PC uses a "carriage return" followed by a "line
feed".  Some programs can handle this difference automatically, but in
most cases you will have to run a simple utility which adds or removes
the line feeds.

Apart from SuperWorks, there are probably no PC programs which can
read AppleWorks files directly.  You can output a text file from
AppleWorks (this will lose all formatting information, spreadsheet
formulae, etc.)

ClarisWorks on the Mac is able to read AppleWorks files directly, but
I don't know about the Windows version.  There is also a Mac-based
translator which converts AppleWorks files to Microsoft Works format.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand