sk2f+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU ("Seth D. Kadesh") (10/23/88)
Which 3.5 drives can run off the GS smartport? I had a compatibility problem
with my Central Point Software drives - the Universal Drive Controller (it ran
5 1/4 and 3.5 drives!) was not 100% Apple compatible i.e. the COPY PROTECTED
software would not run! Very aggravating! I coped for a while, but just
recently succumbed. My old drives are now owned by Mac users, who have no
problems - the drives were actually Mac drives. So now I need to go out and
buy new drives. What is the difference between Apple brand Mac drives, and
the 3.5 drive Apple makes for the GS? Could I wire a connection between the
Mac drives and the GS smartport? Is there a different external drive for the
Mac SE/Mac II? HELP?!! A quick answer would be most gratifying, as I have
no drives at the moment!
A comment about my plight. I don't think it unreasonable to expect that
software manufacturers make their products run on similar systems. I must
point out that only COPY PROTECTED SOFTWARE (3.5 disk format) would not run
off of my drive/controller setup. I know that Apple wants developers to
follow Apple set standards, so that future enhancements do not bring the
problem of incompatibility (example: most telecommunication software written
for the Apple II will not run on the IIGS because developers sidestepped the
software protocols, and worked directly with the hardware - 6551 or something.
Then Apple changed the IIGS to an 8530 or something - the numbers are the
serial chip processors - and all old Apple II software that ignored Apple's
communication standards were rendered incompatible. Apple did this too. Hmm.)
However, I don't think that the drive/controller fall into the same category.
Let the NeXT machine from Apple be a faster IIGS!
Thanks.
--Seth Kadesh
--sk2f@+andrew.cmu.edu (it's correct, it just may not be in order!)
The Mad Scientist knows...c60c-3aw@web-3d.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) (10/24/88)
In article <wXMLafZ68k-08NNLFh@andrew.cmu.edu> sk2f+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU ("Seth D. Kadesh") writes: >Which 3.5 drives can run off the GS smartport? I had a compatibility problem >with my Central Point Software drives - [stuff removed] > What is the difference between Apple brand Mac drives, and >the 3.5 drive Apple makes for the GS? Could I wire a connection between the As of two years or so ago, there is no difference. Apple sells the same drive (AppleDisk 3.5) for both the //gs and the Macintosh. On a Mac the eject button is deactivated, but the instruction manual contains info for both kinds of computers. Part of Apple's effort to spend as little time as possible on the //gs by having it use Mac hardware (half :-|). > A comment about my plight. I don't think it unreasonable to expect that >software manufacturers make their products run on similar systems. I must >point out that only COPY PROTECTED SOFTWARE (3.5 disk format) would not run Is Diversi-Cache copy protected? I can name a couple of things which don't work even after the copy protection is removed... it isn't the software manufacturers, it's the drive. Not only doesn't it go where the //gs expects it, I don't believe it supports the full range of calls (there are extended calls for the //gs SmartPort). I still don't understand why Apple is the only one who can make a 3.5 drive which plugs into the SmartPort directly. > Let the NeXT machine from Apple be a faster IIGS! Or an Apple II emulator for the Amiga... (other half of the :-|) > --Seth Kadesh > --sk2f@+andrew.cmu.edu (it's correct, it just may not be in order!)