//c & 3.5: can't they get along?

[Kelton Rhoads <kelton@asu.edu>]

I've gone retro! I owned a //c in 1984-8, and loved it. Went the way 
of the masses, however, and have used Macs and PCs since. However, I 
recently purchased a //c used from a local school trying to raise 
money for new computers.  What a great looking machine! It oozes style 
unlike any machine I've owned subsequently. 

I received an "Apple 3.5 Drive" along with the //c (Yeah, that was an 
unachieveable dream for me back in 1988; the school threw it in for 
free when I purchased the //c.) Although the external 5.25 floppy 
drive I purchased works fine, the 3.5 does not. What am I doing wrong 
/ what do I need to do to get the 3.5 drive to work?

When I hook up the 3.5 drive and attempt to access it, the red access 
light blinks on for a moment, then the //c returns an error message 
about not being able to access the external drive. 

I did the "Print Peek 64447" test and the //c returned a "0" which I 
understand means that I can connect a 3.5 drive, but do not have an 
internal memory expansion connector. 

While reading some of the material that came with the //c, I read that 
"If External Disk 3.5 is not one of the options suggested on your 
screen, you need either  to update your System Utilities to version 
2.0 or to add the Apple //c Add-On Kit enhancement in order to use 
your UniDisk 3.5." Do I even have a Unidisk, or just a 3.5 drive? Is 
there a difference? Do I need this enhancement? Where to obtain it?

Your help is appreciated, as local Phoenix dealers are clueless 
regarding this older technology and want big money just to give me 
advice. 

Kelton Rhoads
Tempe, Arizona