FADMICS@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (04/10/90)
I'm posting this to both comp.sys.mac and comp.sys.apple2, so I'm sure to
arouse somebody's hostility somewhere, but here goes:
A friend of mine uses an Apple IIc for word processing (AppleWorks), and
usually prints to an ImageWriter II. He has some files he would like to print
out on a Laser printer, which I have access to via my Mac. I would have to
transfer the files from 5.25in floppies (he doesn't have a hard drive or 3.5in
drive) to the Mac; it's not crucial that formatting information be preserved,
as I would have to reformat within a Mac word processor before printing
anyway. Without 3.5in source disks, I can't use the Mac File Exchange Utility,
so we'll have to go through the serial ports. The cable from the Apple IIc to
the Imagewriter II could instead be connected to the Mac modem or printer port,
but I'm not sure if the pin arrangement of the Mac ports is OK for what an
Apple IIC normally sends to an ImageWriter II (maybe I should post to
comp.hardware too?)
I can think of three transfer options, but I need help implementing them.
1) The Mac does all the work: The Apple sends out an Appleworks print command,
thinking it is connected to an ImageWriter II, but it's really connected to
the Mac modem or printer port: is there any Mac program that could make sense
of this stream and write it to a file? (I have all the usual X,Y, and Zmodem,
MacTerminal, MacBinary, Kermit etc. programs, as well as one or two set up for
Mac-to-Mac communication, but I seriously doubt any of these would work--just
thought I'd mention it. I guess I'm really asking if any program has ever been
written specifically to do this. Anyone from Cupertino reading?
2) Equal partnership: communications program transfer. On the Mac end, as I
mentioned above, I have X,Y,Z-modem, MacTerminal, MacBinary, Kermit, etc. Can
some Apple person recommend a shareware communications program, preferably one
that can handle high speed data transfer (Microphone handles 57,600 baud on
the Mac end) over an adjoining cable? And more that just recommend: my friend
doesn't have any comm. software (or else I probably wouldn't have to ask), so
I'd have to mail somebody a 5.25in floppy to make a copy.
3) And here's where I'm really getting out of my league. The Yale computer
center has some Macs hooked up to external 5.25 inch drives to exchange files
with IBM PC's (at last, some common ground between Mac and Apple users: we
both hate IBM!) with a program called DaynaFile (or something similar), about
which I know absolutely nothing. Can this set-up read Appleworks word
processor files (I think the format is called ProDOS)? I guess I could ask
someone there, but I'd rather be semi-anonymous in my ignorance, and ask over
the Net as a faceless name.
Please e-mail me responses directly at the address above; if anyone else
is interested I'll repost to the Net, or more likely, relay the message
privately if you ask.
Thanks a lot.
cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) (04/12/90)
In article <90100.032435FADMICS@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu> FADMICS@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu writes: >I'm posting this to both comp.sys.mac and comp.sys.apple2, so I'm sure to >arouse somebody's hostility somewhere, but here goes: >1) The Mac does all the work: The Apple sends out an Appleworks print command, >thinking it is connected to an ImageWriter II, but it's really connected to >the Mac modem or printer port: is there any Mac program that could make sense >of this stream and write it to a file? (I have all the usual X,Y, and Zmodem, >MacTerminal, MacBinary, Kermit etc. programs, as well as one or two set up for >Mac-to-Mac communication, but I seriously doubt any of these would work--just >thought I'd mention it. I guess I'm really asking if any program has ever been >written specifically to do this. Anyone from Cupertino reading? I wouldn't send the file as sending it to Imagewriter II, but try print to Apple Silent Type printer (it's a very very old thermal transfer printer made by apple, and it takes straight forward ASCII output from the computer. So by chossing Silent Type you get a straight ASCII data instead of datas mixed with printer commands. Or, you can print to a text file on the disk then use any of those comm soft to do file transfer. A copy of Kermit can be downloaded FREE from an ftp site (I don't remmeber which one was the site) > >2) Equal partnership: communications program transfer. On the Mac end, as I >mentioned above, I have X,Y,Z-modem, MacTerminal, MacBinary, Kermit, etc. Can >some Apple person recommend a shareware communications program, preferably one >that can handle high speed data transfer (Microphone handles 57,600 baud on >the Mac end) over an adjoining cable? And more that just recommend: my friend >doesn't have any comm. software (or else I probably wouldn't have to ask), so >I'd have to mail somebody a 5.25in floppy to make a copy. BTW, if you try to send data back and forth, you can not just use a printer cable since the data line in the printer cable is only from computer to printer, a ground line, and a status line to indicate rether printer is ready or not. You do not get a line for data to go from your computer back to //c if you use the printer cable. >3) And here's where I'm really getting out of my league. The Yale computer >center has some Macs hooked up to external 5.25 inch drives to exchange files >with IBM PC's (at last, some common ground between Mac and Apple users: we >both hate IBM!) with a program called DaynaFile (or something similar), about >which I know absolutely nothing. Can this set-up read Appleworks word >processor files (I think the format is called ProDOS)? I guess I could ask >someone there, but I'd rather be semi-anonymous in my ignorance, and ask over >the Net as a faceless name. Nope, as far as the set up we have in my working place, the 5.25 drive is designed to read MeSsy-DOS format disks. No problem even if you have your name printed since people here live and learn. > Please e-mail me responses directly at the address above; if anyone else >is interested I'll repost to the Net, or more likely, relay the message >privately if you ask. > Thanks a lot. > Oops, didnt read this at first glace so I just hit "F" -- cyliao@wam.umd.edu o NeXT : I put main frame power on two chips. @epsl.umd.edu o people: We put main flame power on two guys. @bagend.eng.umd.edu o :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xxx (reserved) o RC + Apple // + Classic Music + NeXT = cyliao