Re: Apple 3.5" drive questions

[Eric Smith <eric-no-spam-for-me@brouhaha.com>]

Tony Cianfaglione <ab616@chebucto.ns.ca> writes:
> Let's look at it from the other way around...could an MS-DOS drive
> (either 3.5" or 5.25") in a PC read and write to GS or 8 bit disks in a
> format that a IIe/IIc/GS would recognize?

No, because the PC disk controller only supports MFM (and FM on some
but not all PCs).

> I do this now with Atari 8 bit software.  I run a DOS program call
[...]
> I also have a DOS program to allow Tandy Color Computer OS9 disks to be
> written directly to, on a PC.  It makes transfers a piece of cake.

That's because both the Atari and the Color Computer use MFM.

As discussed elsewhere, if you got a "special" controller for either
the Apple II or the PC, you can do this, but the common controllers
won't.