[comp.sys.apple] Apple IIc UniDisk Availability

dowst@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV (10/14/87)

Apple has apparantly quietly discontinued the 3.5" UniDisk for the Apple //e
and //c.  In the case of the //e, the Central Point controller and drives
are a reasonable alternative.  In the case of the //c, there is no simple
workaround.  Apparantly Apple has decided that the //c is not a serious 
enough computer to warrant making bulk storage available.  Any comments
from the net?  

Henry Dowst

Reply here or to GEnie "DOWST"

lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) (10/21/87)

I am sorry, but I find it hard to buy the rumor about Apple canning the Unidisk
3.5.  The only way I can see this happening is if they have a new 3.5"
controller which allows the Apple 3.5 drive to be used on these machines,
and that wouldnt help the IIc any.\  No, Apple may get rid of the 5.25"
Unidisk, but not the 3.5"...

-- 
Larry W. Virden	 75046,606 (CIS)
674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817
cbosgd!n8emr!lwv HAM/SWL BBS (HBBS) 614-457-4227.. 300/1200 bps
We haven't inherited the world from our parents, but borrowed it from our children.

ralphw@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre) (10/28/87)

In article <871014101910.03b@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV> dowst@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV writes:
>Apple has apparantly quietly discontinued the 3.5" UniDisk for the Apple //e
>and //c.  In the case of the //e, the Central Point controller and drives
>are a reasonable alternative.  In the case of the //c, there is no simple
>workaround.  Apparantly Apple has decided that the //c is not a serious 
>enough computer to warrant making bulk storage available.  Any comments
>from the net?  
Great.  Now I'll NEVER be able to get any technical support for it.
I keep wondering if you can daisy chain drives to the //e controller,
in spite of what Apple says.

Presumably all you'd need would be a SmartPort/Protocol Converter <-> Apple 
Woz-machine-type controller.   Does anyone with a //c reference manual
(including Protocol Converter listings?) have any ideas?

This may also allow you to add multiple generic 3 1/2" drives to the //GS,
and there are some hard disks which work off of regular floppy ports,
so there are many benefits.  Hopefully some third party will get interested
in this.

					- Ralph
-- 
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.

Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK}
Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA

fiddler@concertina.UUCP (10/28/87)

> In article <871014101910.03b@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV> dowst@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV writes:
> >workaround.  Apparantly Apple has decided that the //c is not a serious 
> >enough computer to warrant making bulk storage available.  Any comments
> >from the net?  

At the time the //c was introduced, Quark introduced a 10Mb hard disk
that plugged into the disk port of the //c.  I believe that it also
had a port at the back of the drive for you to daisy-chain a Disk][,
and should also have fit a UniDisk3.5.  Even if Quark isn't making them
anymore, maybe someone has some hanging around in some store or
something.

Maybe they'll be coming out with another 3.5" drive?  I have a bad
feeling about this...

	seh

halp@TCGOULD.TN.CORNELL.EDU ("Bruce P. Halpern") (11/04/87)

The current (mid-October, 1987) Apple Government and Educational price list 
still lists the Unidisk 3.5 (for ][c and ][e) as a perfectly normal item, 
available for the paying.  It is **NOT** listed as a "while supplies list" 
item, althought certain other things are. Thus, it appears the Apple Computer, 
Inc. is still selling this item.

****DISCLAMER: My comments, etc., are my own shakey opinions ********



  |  Bruce P. Halpern  Psychology & Neurobiology & Behavior Cornell Ithaca |
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