usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (09/28/89)
Does anyone know if it is possible to read a Macintosh format disk using the built-in Amiga drive? If so, what software is available to do this? I have read about the mac-2-dos package available, but it indicates that a mac drive is required. For those interested, the reason I would like to do this is because at school we have Macs connected to our network, so I could download information directly from the internet to the disks, and then hopefully read them on the Amiga. Thanks, Brett Brett Harper Michigan State University harperb@frith.egr.msu.edu ...!uunet!frith!harperb
mark@xrtll.UUCP (Mark Vange) (10/02/89)
In article <4770@cps3xx.UUCP>, usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) writes: > Does anyone know if it is possible to read a Macintosh format disk > using the built-in Amiga drive? If so, what software is available to > do this? I have read about the mac-2-dos package available, but it > indicates that a mac drive is required. Well, it could be really tricky! Unfortunately, the Mac uses three different speeds to write the disk. These speeds vary according to the cylinder number that is currently being accessed. This means that there is variable density information, and the width of the bit cell (the ammount of time that valid data is under the read head, effectively) is not readily understood by our hardware. -- Mark Vange Phone Death Threats to: PAS Systems - "Plain and Simple" (416) 730-1352 mark@xrtll 8 Everingham Ct. North York "Every absurdity has a champion Ont, Canada M2M 2J5 to defend it." - Oliver Goldsmith
pete@i-core.UUCP (Pete Ashdown) (10/04/89)
>From: mark@xrtll.UUCP (Mark Vange) > >In article <4770@cps3xx.UUCP>, usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) writes: >> Does anyone know if it is possible to read a Macintosh format disk >> using the built-in Amiga drive? If so, what software is available to >> do this? I have read about the mac-2-dos package available, but it >> indicates that a mac drive is required. > >Well, it could be really tricky! Unfortunately, the Mac uses three >different speeds to write the disk. These speeds vary according to the >cylinder number that is currently being accessed. This means that there is >variable density information, and the width of the bit cell (the ammount of >time that valid data is under the read head, effectively) is not readily >understood by our hardware. The A-Max manual states that its FIVE rather than three speeds that the Mac uses. However, they also state that the Amiga can read two of these speeds. They include a special program that allows you to format a 272K disk on the Mac, transfer stuff on it, then it moves the data to sections of the disk where the Amiga can read it through A-Max. It works rather nicely. I WISH I COULD GO THE OTHER WAY THOUGH!! Grrr... -- (^\__/^) pete@i-core.uucp uunet!iconsys!caeco!i-core / . . \ <=== BEWARE! The Snugglesoft Bear! \ ~ / <=== Spawn of Satan and the downfall of Western Civilization! ( )( ) Pete Ashdown - Slack Monger Extraordinare - Amiga Evangelist
jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright) (10/05/89)
All of the talk so far has (understandably) centered on exchanging *floppy* disks with the Mac. What are the chances of reading Mac hard drives? I've got a few of these neat Syquest 44MB removable hard drive systems around, and thought of hooking one up to my SCSI controller on the Amiga. Any chance of my being able to deal with the Mac's (so-called) file system? I'd love to be able to use the Amiga for at least part of the software development cycle. -- Jim Wright jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu