Re: Looking for MS-DOS translator for IIgs

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <9621.UUL1.3#25274@ace.com>, Luigi <luigi@ace.com> wrote:
> 
> Yes, I've been following some of the thread for PCTransport, but I don't
> happen to have $80 to spend. Does anyone know of a CHEAP translator for
> either the Apple II (GS) or the IBM Compatible to go between the two?

GS/OS already includes an MS-DOS File System Translator, which can
read files from MS-DOS disks, but not write to them.  There is also a
set of shareware utilities from Peter Watson in Australia that can
read and write MS-DOS disks.

The main problem you are likely to have with either of the above is
that the standard Apple II 3.5" drives (the UniDisk 3.5 and Apple 3.5
Drive) cannot read or write MS-DOS disks, because the formatting
method is incompatible.

Similarly, the standard PC 3.5" drives cannot read Apple II 800k 3.5"
disks.

You need a special disk drive or controller on either computer to get
around this.

One possibility is a SuperDrive and SuperDrive controller for the
IIgs.  Another possibility is a BlueDisk card and a PC 3.5" drive.
Neither of these options are cheap (the BlueDisk is a lot cheaper than
the SuperDrive option, though).

A third possibility is a Floptical SCSI drive.  These can read/write
720KB and 1.44MB floppies in MFM format (as used by the PC) as well as
their own 21MB floptical disks.

A fourth possibility is a PC Transporter.  It pulls some tricks to
allow an Apple 3.5 Drive to read and write 720k MS-DOS disks, albeit
slowly.  If you decided to get a PC Transporter, I'd recommend getting
another disk drive for it, and leaving your existing Apple 3.5 Drive
connected to the IIgs disk port.  A 3.5" drive connected to the PC
Transporter is _very_ slow at accessing Apple disks, and is not
compatible with some software (particularly copy protected software,
demos and games which don't run under GS/OS or standard ProDOS-8).

If you want a cheap option, I can only suggest using a modem or direct
serial connection to send files beteween the computers, or going via a
Macintosh or another Apple II which has a SuperDrive, BlueDisk or
Floptical drive.

There used to be cards available on the PC which would allow a PC
5.25" drive to read Apple II 5.25" disks.  I don't know if any of
these work with 3.5" drives, and I very much doubt it.  Apart from the
encoding format, the Apple 3.5 Drive has variable rotation speed
depending on the track.  PC drives don't support his.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand