kerista@well.UUCP (KERISTA) (08/04/85)
I am looking for software which will allow me to read text files saved to disk on my Apple II plus on an IBM PC. I would appreciate anyone knowing the source of such software to respond by Email, call David Zinn at (415) 753-1314, or write 543 Frederick Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
jeffm@mmintl.UUCP (Jeffrey Miller) (08/09/85)
* Software to read Apple disks on IBM PCs does not exist, since Apple does not use the index hole (I agree that this is a real drag). Special hardware is therefore required. There is a board by Quadram which lets you run Apple software in the PC and I think lets you read Apple disks on the PC. I think the board is the Quadlink. Also, there is a board called Apple Turnover by Vertex I believe, which lets you read Apple disks on the PC. These are the only 2 I know of. If any software alone does exist, I would sure like to know about it also, since I have a Basis 108 (Apple compat) at home, and an ATT 6300 at work. ************************************************* * Jeff Miller * * Multimate International Corp. * * 52 Oakland Avenue * * East Hartford, CT 06108-9911 * * UUCP: * * ...!seismo!utah-cs!utah-gr!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm * *************************************************
glen@intelca.UUCP (Glen Shires) (08/20/85)
> > * > Software to read Apple disks on IBM PCs does not exist, since Apple > does not use the index hole (I agree that this is a real drag). Special > hardware is therefore required. There is a board by Quadram which lets you > .... > ************************************************* > * Jeff Miller * > * Multimate International Corp. * > * UUCP: * > * ...!seismo!utah-cs!utah-gr!pwa-b!mmintl!jeffm * > ************************************************* Yes, the Apple doesn't use the index hole (that's why you can flip floppies without cutting out a new index hole). Still this is a problem one could work around. But the differences go much deeper than that. Apple uses special hardware (the infamous Woz machine) and software to read/write the disk (See "Beneath Apple DOS" for a great explanation). IBM-PC on the other hand uses a "standard" disk controller chip (NEC uPD 765) which has the formats built-in (no whizzy software). Although nothing matches at any level (directories, track/sector markings, etc.), the bottom line is that these could all be worked around except for one especially subtle gremlin: The way in which the data and clock is mixed onto the disk is completely different. The PC uses standard MFM, the Apple uses no clocks but restricts the data to certain patterns. -- ^ ^ Glen Shires, Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. O O Usenet: {ucbvax!amd,pur-ee,hplabs}!intelca!glen > ARPA: "amd!intelca!glen"@BERKELEY \-/ --- stay mellow
darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer) (08/26/85)
Can't be done with standard disk controllers. If you look closely at the
timing and data patterns used by the Apple hardware/software combination,
you find they are using a 1.5 density GCR scheme. All controller chips
implement only single density FM and double density MFM (or a few other
variants of MFM). On the other hand, the Apple controller uses less than a
dozen MSI chips and 256 bytes of 6502 code to operate! so it's a relatively
easy controller to emulate (which a few vendors have, as pointed out in
other articles).
--
Darrel J. Van Buer, PhD
System Development Corp.
2500 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(213)820-4111 x5449
...{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,orstcs,sdcsvax,ucla-cs,akgua}
!sdcrdcf!darrelj
VANBUER@USC-ECL.ARPAmjg@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael Gingell) (08/28/85)
Vertex Systems in Los Angeles, has a small board that plugs into a slot in the PC which enables you to read and write Apple disks directly. The board is called - wait for it - 'Apple Turnover'. Not sure of the price. Their phone number is (213) 938-0857. Mike Gingell ...decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg