Re: Trackstar 128 Problems - Please Help

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Mike <moose@rocknet.net.au> wrote:

>So, I don't know if my PC's SVGA monitor hooked up to my PC's video card is
>sufficient.  Does a monitor need to be connected to the Trackstar card ?
>
>I also don't know about the role of my PC drives.  Do these need to be also
>connected to the Trackstar ?  If they are connected to the Trackstar, do they
>function exactly like an Apple ][ floppy drive or are there some
>incompatibilities ?

I don't have a Trackstar, so my understanding of them is limited.  However,
I've read that the card confers video and drive functions through the slot
it sits in.  Thus, what your Trackstar is doing with the bootup screen is
waiting for an Apple II disk to boot, just as a real IIe would hang.  The
Trackstar is supposed to be able to read regular Apple II 5.25" disks
through the PC 5.25" drive.  Now the 5.25" PC drives used to be drive
A: once upon a time.  I'd try finding an old PC 5.25" drive and installing
it in your system as drive A: and inserting an Apple II 5.25" disk in there
to see what happens.  When it seems to be trying to run itself from
drive A:, it might actually be looking for an Apple II boot disk.  Similarly,
you don't need a IIe monitor.  The Trackstar makes your SVGA monitor
into a IIe monitor.