Re: Converting .DSK, .SDK, .DO images to 5.25" floppy; disk compatibility?

[willi@wilserv.com (Willi Kusche)]

Hi!

GameWizard2002@juno.com (Jason L.) wrote in message news:<a44e3762.0305221040.5c33a5b7@posting.google.com>...
> I recently had an Apple //e -- the holy grail of classic computing --
> fall into my lap, but it's not of much use right now, since the only
> real applications I have are disk images.  I have a
> somewhat-more-than-basic knowledge of the system, but I am having
> trouble figuring out how to convert disk images to 5.25" floppies. 
> I've read many Usenet posts about the concept, but the methods (such
> as ones involving null modems) are all very confusing.  Is there any
> conceivable way I could connect a DuoDisk to my PC and use some sort
> of conversion program?  If not, what should I do?

    No way to connect a DuoDisk to a PC that I know of.  Writing 5.25
Apple II disks with a PC requires a special controller.  So you're
going to have to create disks with your IIe.  But with a IIe and a
DuoDisk you're going to need a storage medium big enough to hold disk
images that are 143660 bytes long.  You can create disks if the source
is an image in a '.sdk' archive and if that '.sdk' archive is small
enough to fit on a 5.25 inch disk.  To create disks from 143660 byte
images you'll need either a RAMDisk, a 3.5 inch drive and controller
or a hard drive and controller.  Without either of those three
options, you're stuck with bringing in the images over a serial cable.

> I also need some information as to how I can reformat IBM-formatted
> 5.25" disks for DOS 3.3 (or ProDOS, whichever has the highest
> compatibility.)   And which size is compatible -- 1.2 MB, or 360 KB?

    360 KB.  1.2 MB will behave as if they're usable but will lose
data.

Willi