heath@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Todd Heatherton) (08/18/88)
I recently posted a question about the best way to connect macs to IBMs. I was swamped with requests for any information obtained although I was supplied with relatively little information. The most common advice was to set up a TOPS system, followed by MacLink and modem-to-modem connection (the cheapest way) using Red-Ryder/Procomm or other PD communications packages. Interested persons should look at September's MacUser, which features a section on connectivity (a nice, new buzzword!). Does anyone envision the day when you slip your 3 1/2" diskette into either machine and it will read the information which is appropriate (i.e. standard formatting). Is such a thing possible? Is such a thing desirable?
merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant) (08/20/88)
In article <1988Aug18.155534.1725@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> Todd Heatherton writes: >Does anyone envision the day when you slip your >3 1/2" diskette into either machine and it will read the information which >is appropriate (i.e. standard formatting). Is such a thing possible? Is >such a thing desirable? According to the rumour mill, Apple does. Apple is supposedly going to make available machines with their new "SuperDrive" which will read and write MS-DOS as well as ProDOS and Macintosh format disks. Also, there are quite a few existing options currently available, including MS-DOS drives that plug into your Macintosh SE or II. Haven't seen one for the Plus. Also, besides TOPS, the two major network players in MS-DOS, Novell and 3Com, have support for Macintoshes on their networks. So if you have a batch of PCs and a couple of Macintoshes, it's probably more worth your while to go that way. (At least, that's what I'm planning...) Apple also has MS-DOS connectivity with their AppleShare file server. I used TOPS for a little while, but I didn't like it that much. The versions that I used ate close to 200K of RAM on the PC, making it difficult to do much of anything useful. I kept having to set up the driver, publish the directory, pick up the directory on the Mac, copy the file over, and then reset the PC if I (or someone else) wanted to do useful work on the PC. --- "I'm gonna let myself get Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP) Absolutely soaking wet." (merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu) (Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu)
postmaster@mailcom.UUCP (Bernard Aboba) (08/21/88)
Some other MS-DOS:Mac connectivity options that haven't been mentioned are Vano Associates' MacChuck, Central Point's floppy controller card, and SoftPC. MacChuck connections a PC and Mac serially, and lets you view the PC screen on the Mac. This only simulates monochrome graphics though, but is written as a genuine device driver on the PC side. This means you can give commands like: dir >mac and the Mac will prompt you with a file name to receive the DOS directory. For $75, it's not a bad value. Central point has a floppy controller that allows PC 3.25" drives to read Mac Diskettes. Another vendor has a controller card that lets you connect an Apple 800K drive to it, and read Mac diskettes that way. Both these options are cheaper than options to read PC disks on a diskette, such as the Dayna File, Infinity Drive from Peripheral Land, and Apple PC card and drive. The Apple Drive does have the advantage that it works seamlessly with Soft PC, which is a PC simulator for the Mac II. Soft PC works in CGA, and is quite compatible. I use it, and have had to reserve 5 Megs on my drive for it (the program alone is over 1 Meg). The Infinity Drive does not mount on the desktop, nor does the Apple PC drive. This is a disadvantage. The Infinity also can double as a reader and writer of 10 MB floppies. It only reads PC floppies. --- * Origin: MailCom -- EchoMac Info Here, Palo Alto (415) 855-9548 (Opus 1:204/444) SEEN-BY: 161/444 204/444 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FidoNet: 1:204/444 UUCP: ...!sun!sunncal!mailcom!bernard INTERNET: sunncal!mailcom!bernard@Sun.COM US MAIL: Bernard Aboba, 101 First St. #224, Los Altos CA 94022
sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington) (08/22/88)
in article <1988Aug18.155534.1725@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>, heath@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Todd Heatherton) says: > > or other PD communications packages. Interested persons should look > at September's MacUser, which features a section on connectivity (a > nice, new buzzword!). Does anyone envision the day when you slip your > 3 1/2" diskette into either machine and it will read the information which > is appropriate (i.e. standard formatting). Is such a thing possible? Is > such a thing desirable? You actually can come very close to that today. If you get a DaynaFile with a 3 1/2" PC drive, you can mount PC drives as Mac disks. (The DaynaFile writes a small directory file to the disk). Then you can manipulate the PC files as icons, just like you would Mac files. Though you still need separate drives for PC and Mac formatting, at least the DaynaFile makes it very easy! Jan Harrington, sysop Scholastech Telecommunications UUCP: husc6!amcad!stech!sysop or allegra!stech!sysop BITNET: JHARRY@BENTLEY ******************************************************************************** Miscellaneous profundity: "No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai ********************************************************************************