Re: Does anyone need IDEfile PCBs?

[mdj <mdj.mdj@gmail.com>]

On Jul 31, 4:34 pm, "Michael J. Mahon" <mjma...@aol.com> wrote:

> Which raises the question of why anyone would *want* to insert a
> ProFile interface between an Apple II and an IDE drive when there
> are already several direct IDE interfaces available.

Purely for aesthetics - people who want to construct the 'ultimate'
1983 vintage Apple IIe system, and cannot find a working ProFile: only
working ProFile cabinets.

> What was the "design maximum" size of a ProFile?  (I'm only aware
> of 5MB and 10MB implementations.)  Is the interface (and driver)
> capable of 32MB?  Multiple partitions?

32MB, but only one device: The later SmartPort firmware interface is
an extension of the original ProDOS Block Device interface defined for
the ProFile (assumedly back in the SOS/Apple III era). SmartPort adds
unit numbers and control commands (to unit number 0, the SmartPort
interface itself). The last iteration, Extended Smartport, allows
larger than 32MB volumes, and supports the long addressing modes of
the 65816 in the IIgs.

> And if you change the interface/driver to support larger drives,
> is it still a ProFile interface?  ;-)

If a tree falls in the forest and there's nobody around to hear it,
did it even exist in the first place? ;-)

> The only use I can see is for someone who has a failing ProFile
> and wants to make a hardware substitution, leaving all else
> unchanged.

Exactly. For a 'reliable' museum piece. But as you mention there are
many better options on the Apple II. Of course, on the Apple III and
the Lisa, the ProFile is the best(only) option.

Matt