Robert J. Stevens wrote:
What would be the best setup to Copy Apple Diskettes. I have several machines; Apples n Macs. I've got some external Apple 3 1/2 drives. The diskettes I want to copy seem to be 720K in Apple format. My Old PC doesn't like them. Could I use Disk22 on the PC. I have a breadboarded Compaq 486-66 with dual 720's on it right now. Got a bunch of HD's if I install one and transfer from my Main Machine I could set it up. TIA Bob in Wisconsin
If the disks you have are the 3.5", they aren't 720K and will not work in a normal PC drive. Disks of this size were double-sided, double-density and 800K for the Apple II series.
Now, there's a possibility those disks in your possession contain early Mac software. If so, then they could be single- or double-sided, double-density; either 400K or 800K.
To make copies of these disks, your best shot is to find a early Mac that had at least an 800K drive running a pre-OS X operating system. Macs running Mac OS 9 or earlier could copy either Mac or Apple II ProDOS disks with no problems.
To make copies on a PC would require special drive controllers, controller software, and the special Sony drive mechanism used in the Mac and Apple II drives. While I personally don't know of any such hardware or software, there may have been enough interest amongst hardware techies for them to fashion something usable (or at least provide specs to roll your own).
Steve in FL