Re: Apple 3.5" drive questions

["GarberStreet Enterprises" <willy46pa@comcast.net>]

Peter Watson <paw77@N_O_hotmail_S_P_A_M.com> wrote in message
news:PAl9a.25893$Xh1.65518@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Hey Bill, thanks for the vote of confidence, but even my software still
need
> some sort of HARDWARE to allow it to work with MS-DOS disks.  :-(
>
> My software is a little like the other person who talked about handling
> MS-DOS on the Atari. That's OK because the hardware can handle it - the
> software just has to adapt what is read a little.
>
> An analogy I have used in the past (for English speakers) goes something
> like this:
>
> If I pick up a book in French I can read the words. I may need a
dictionary
> to help me understand them, but I can see where words and sentences end,
and
> I can recognise numbers, punctuation, etc. If I pick up a book in (say)
> Arabic, I can't even recognise where words start and end.

Yes, but we could be taught to understand Arabic with or without the
Book ( hardware ).

> Now let's apply this to the IIgs. If I put an MS-DOS disk into a normal
> Apple 3.5 drive with a normal controller card, all I get back is "Arabic".
I
> can't even begin to understand it. If I put an MS-DOS disk into an
> MFM-capable drive with a suitable controller card, then what I get back is
> "French". I can understand the "words" - all I have to do is translate
them
> into "English".
> --
> Peter Watson
> -- Write to MSDOS disks on the Apple IIgs?
> -- Impossible!  ;-)
>
> "GarberStreet Enterprises" <willy46pa@comcast.net> wrote in message
> Yuqcnfh4L4eyPPijXTWcrg@comcast.com">news:Yuqcnfh4L4eyPPijXTWcrg@comcast.com...
> >
> >
> > > > 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).
> >
> > Ok, first of all, we're not really clear on the difference between MFM
and
> > GCR.
> > Let's go back to that period when hard drives were written in MFM, then
> RLL.
> > Both MFM and RLL drives used the same controller, but different drivers.
> > What everyone here is trying to say or not say as the case stands is, if
> the
> > very
> > same controller can write MFM, RLL, CHS, etc...., why not GCR. It's
IMHO,
> > easy to just say, NO IT CAN'T BE DONE, just because. Peter Watson didn't
> > "just say no" when we were told we could only READ ms-dos disks, he dug
in
> > there and solved that problem, now we can also WRITE to them. First we
> could
> > only make Apple II disks on older Macs, due to their ability to conform
to
> > the
> > same standards, using DiskCopy, then came the newer Macs with their non-
> > compatible drives and controllers, but here we have DiskDup+, it writes
> them
> > with ease, and by changing speed I might add. Listen when you write one
> with
> > it.
> > With a little ingenuity and persistence, anything can and will be
> > accomplished.
> > Have we lost the spirit that made the Apple II to begin with. Looks that
> way
> > to
> > me. Let's stop pushing this around and get together and do something
about
> > it.
> > I'm doing what I can, I have cards and computers all over my place,
apart
> > with
> > wires hanging out, trying to improve some of it. When I get stuck and
need
> > help,
> > guess what I here. Here's a site to go to that won't tell you anything
> > except that
> > it can't work, can't be done, no one really cares. IS APPLE II DEAD? It
> will
> > be if we don't keep it alive. Now let's see if we can write Apple II on
PC
> > and
> > quit this can't stuff. Woz heard can't be done, did he quit? NO. We have
> > Apple II through IIgs. That's all I have to say. Thank you for
listening.
> >
> > Bill @ GarberStreet Enterprises
> > http://garberstreet.netfirms.com
> >
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>
>


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