re: convert and transfer Mac files to a PC

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

Jeff Thomas wrote:

>"Michael J. Mahon" wrote:
>
>> No, you don't.
>
>I do!
>
>> If you check, you'll see that it only works with 1.44MB 3.5" disks,
>> not 800KB (variable-speed, GCR) disks.
>
>That's true regarding not being able to read/write to 800Kb disks. Alongside,
>support for 1.44Mb disks are ASPI and CD-ROM devices (like SyQuest drives
>hooked up via an ASPI compatible interface card), and additional
>translations.
>
>> Software alone cannot bridge the gap between PC disk hardware
>> and Apple disk hardware.
>
>Apparantly, the program I have does. It's called a shareware program called
>"MacSee" designed for PC in either MS-DOS and Windows.

I was ONLY referring to the inability of PC hardware to read/write
800KB Apple disks.  They are GCR encoded, and are completely
unintelligible to PC disk controllers, regardless of software.

The 1.44MB Apple disks have low-level recording formats that are identical
with PC disks, so in that case only software is required to bridge the file
system gap.

Since a Superdrive 3.5" disk drive and a Superdrive controller are
required (although there are less common possibilities) to read/write
1.44MB disks on an Apple II, there is much less interest in reading
and writing 1.44MB Apple disks on a PC relative to the interest in
accessing the ubiquitous 800KB Apple II disks.

-michael

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