Re: c-plus ][ bubble memory card...japanese..

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

brad wrote:

>below is a translated link to a collector in japan who seems to have the
>same bubble mem card i'm talking about in the prev post on this
>discussion thread....
>
>
>http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.apple2worl
d.jp/apple2/COL/MapItems/card/memory/bubblememory/bubblememory.html&prev=/
search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.apple2world.jp/apple2/COL/MapItems/card/memory/bub
blememory/bubblememory.html%
>26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

This is the MPC card, also known as the Helix Labs card, and it is
not the same card as the one shown in the auction.  The "corner cut"
is different and the card edge connector has all its "pins".

The MPC/Helix card was made with the Intel bubble memory chip
and chip set.

>above is a link...a translated page link..not sure if it works or not in
>translation mode..the direct japanese link is below...of a  collector in
>japan who seems to have my card i mentioned in prev post..so a bit more info
>for anyone interested in this discussion

It works.

>so if the above translated to english link does not work here is the direct
>japanese link below...you can use with google translate or bablefish
>to get the same english translation yourself
>
>
>http://www.apple2world.jp/apple2/COL/MapItems/card/memory/bubblememory/bu
bblememory.html
>
>anyway..this looks like the card i mentioned in prev post..bubble
>memcard...i have not broken the seals on my unit however..and removed the
>cover..but my box
>for this unit does have PC labled on it and his unit is named without the
>lid as a peripherials corp bubble memory board...his has intel magnetics
>1982
>
>this is prob what i have...as stated in my prev post for a bubble memory
>card....

If your card is a bubble memory card, then it almost certainly works
like a disk drive if you plug it in and do a "PR#s" on it.  If it is not
bootable, then you should be able to boot a DOS disk and then
CATALOG the bubble drive.

Bubble cards are pretty heavy, because of the iron and magnets
associated with the bubble chip.

>anyway...still looking for english instructions if available or what do you
>think just plug the beast in...the japanese link seems to suggest it has a
>chip named bubdos ...perhaps..that is all i need?

That is true for the MPC/Helix card--maybe yours is a clone?...

>anyway...just for those who might be interested here is another link to the
>card and the such ..more or less looks like my card from what i can tell

Again, the cards do not look identical either in shape or pinout.  That does
not rule out that one is an electronic clone of the other, or that they are
different designs, but it does raise doubts.

>the auction site with the card i have and the box is again at
>
>
>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5155810138&ssPage
Name=STRK:MEWN:IT

Try it out in a system and see if you can CATALOG it--if it doesn't work, no
harm has been done, and if something exotic on the card has failed, you
will probably have to consider it a writeoff anyway, since those chips are
now made of unobtanium.  ;-)

-michael

New Applesoft BASIC interface for NadaNet networking!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/