Re: SuperDrive Doesn't Work on PC Transporter

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

"Charlie" <charlied@NOSPAMbboard.com> wrote:

>Actually, a regular 800k IIgs drive can read/write MS-DOS that is usable in
PC,
>so apparently it is cabable of encoding in MFM.  It seems to be the controller
>that makes the difference.  The PC Transporter is such a controller.  With the
>3.5" drive connected to the PC Transporter you can read/write MS-DOS when
using
>the PC Transporter and read/write ProDOS when using the IIgs (I do it all the

Right, I forgot about that it has been so long since I booted up
my IIGS.  I always left my drive on the IIGS drive port though
because the PCT controller was SO slow for Apple mode read
and write operations.  Even PCT MS-DOS operations are quite
a bit faster when the drive is on an Apple controller.

>time).  The MS-DOS read/write performs without error when the disks are
>formatted on a real PC.  When the disks are formatted on the PC Transporter
>some PCs have trouble reading them.  I did a little test of about a dozen
>different PCs about 10 years ago and 3 or 4 of them had no problems with the
PC
>Transporter formatted disks.  The others had varying degrees of problems, with
>some not being able to read them at all.
>
>I don't know why a Superdrive connected to the PC Transporter wouldn't work at
>least for 800k disks.

I think it is because the Superdrive is kind of strange in that
it switches between GCR and MFM depending on the size
of the disk.

Let me elaborate.  I too never got the SuperDrive to be
recognized on the PCT controller but could use SuperDrive
controller in Apple IIGS slot to format a 1.44MB disk in
MS-DOS mode that was readable on a real PC.

BUT in order to do this, before I launch the AEPC icon
to start up the PCT, I have to have a ProDOS 1.44MB
disk in the SuperDrive (or a PC formatted 1.44MB
MS-DOS disk with GS/OS MSDOS.FST in the IIGS
drivers folder).  Naturally, upon seeing the PCT screen
start up, I eject the disk to make the PCT start up
from the hard disk drive image file.  But once in
MS-DOS, I can insert any PC floppy into the drive
and the PCT would read it.  I can also format and use
MS-DOS disks that would then be readable on a PC.
But ONLY 1.44MB disks.

Now if I had an 800k disk in the SuperDrive when in
IIGS mode then launch the PCT, I could not work
with the SuperDrive in MS-DOS mode at all.  The
drive seems to "remember" whether it was in GCR or
MFM.

NOTE: ProDOS 1.44MB disks are formatted in MFM
unlike the 800k disks which are formatted in GCR.

Apple made the switch from GCR to MFM when
moving from 800k to 1.44MB.

The only GCR high density floppy was the AEHD
floppy drive formatted disks.  These were 1.6MB
floppies.  To be more specific, you could buy the
1.44MB formatted PC floppies and refort them on
the AE drive (which connected to the IIGS floppy
port) as 1.6MB GCR ProDOS.