Re: Cross Platform Query and a coment (longish)

["Charlie" <charlied@NOSPAMbboard.com>]

"pilgrimer" <you@somehost.somedomain> wrote in message
tcf6jusavqgsf8@corp.supernews.com">news:tcf6jusavqgsf8@corp.supernews.com...


>  I am experimenting with some Cross-platform computing .
>
>  Specifically:  I have a Apple IIe<>IIGS upgrade with a PC Transporter
card, 2
> 360k Trans-drives and a 3.5 Apple plugged in.  The upgrade is a preferred
box
> to a standard IIGS for this  in that the IIe case allows for more room for
> really long cards like the PCT or a Z-80 Star Card (which this also has)
> This beast has other bells and whistles too but for what I am trying this
> description will do.
>
>    I also have a 386 PC with a Diamond Trackstar attached.  It has a Apple
> (well Lobo) CGR drive, a 360k MFM A:> and a 1.4 B:  (and about 200 megs of
> IDE C:    See where I am going with this?  ;)
> I can format a 360k Floppy in ProDOS on the PCT, or (due to a read only
FST) I
> can see 360K MSDOS  floppies on the Transdrives.    On the Trackstar side,
I
> can create Trackstore (*.app) files on a 360k floppy  but I cannot seem to
> read/write to a 360K ProDOS disk.
> Now the question:
>
> Can I read/write ProDOS on a  Diamond Trackstar on the PC A: drive (not
the
> attached Apple 140k CGR) somehow and not as Trackstore disks(?) but
directly?
>  I think what I require for this is the missing ribbon wire attachment
that
> connects the OTHER floppy pin-set on the trackstore to the 360k drive (and
if
> anyone has one of these they are not using, or knows the pens-set for one
I
> would LOVE to talk to you!) or, alternately can I read write ProDOS and
> Basic.System directly and readably in MFM MSDOS format  on that floppy and
> have a bootable or readable MSDOS disk useable on the PC Transporter?

I'm not exactly sure if this is what you are asking but...

An 800K Apple 3.5" drive (not a Unidisk 3.5") can read/write ProDOS and
MSDOS (720K) disks when connected directly to the PC Transporter.  The
downside to this is that file I/O is slower with ProDOS than if the drive
was connected to the smartport and if you intend to move MSDOS disks to
another MSDOS machine then it is better (more stable) to format the disks on
that machine rather than the PC Transporter.
There is a transfer program that comes with the PCT that you can move files
between the two systems.

Charlie

> Bootable  will be problematic in that the PCT drives do not seem to be
viewable  in
> ProDOS.  Next I am going to try a bare bones GS/OS 5.0.4  to see if THAT
is
> readable from here.  (GODS I love tinkering!  ;)
> Alternately, does anyone know of any work done on a read/WRITE MSDOS FST
for
> the GS?  If I could write Apple II files   to a MSDOS  format on the PCT
it
> would  be another way to do this.
> Yes yes, I KNOW there are other solutions for cross platform: networking,
> (Appletalk, COPS Talk, TOPS, Netatalk),  null modem, ADT dsk transfer,
and
> other solutions, I have done all those.
>
> If anyone else has been experimenting along similar lines and would like
to
> discuss,   I am at your disposal.
> -Bart