oogie@nbires.UUCP (03/11/87)
Greetings Macland! I just heard that there are two new controller cards available for the SE and the Mac II which allow them to run DOS 3.2 applications. Since I am a newphyte to the Mac, I have some trepidation about asking questions in this forum. Oh well, here goes. Is it currently possible to obtain DOS software on 3 1/2 inch diskettes or is there a 5 1/4 inch floppy drive designed for the Mac? Once the format conversion takes place can I expect mathematical applications to run as efficiently? Will there be any other types of software limitations after making the translations with the Mac86 card on the SE? Any clarification would be a great help. Thanks in advance, Steve Kaiser
friedman@paul.UUCP (03/12/87)
>I just heard that there are two new controller cards available for the SE and >the Mac II which allow them to run DOS 3.2 applications. Since I am a ******* >newphyte to the Mac, I have some trepidation about asking questions in this I hadn't realized there still was any interest in DOS 3.2 applications. I'd have thought all the developers have long since moved to PRODOS (or at least DOS 3.3..) I guess some are just slow in catching up. -Gadi
c60a-3eb@tart7.UUCP (03/12/87)
> Is it currently possible to obtain [MS-]DOS software on 3 1/2 inch > diskettes or is there a 5 1/4 inch floppy drive ... for the Mac Since IBM supports 3 1/2 inch disks on its machines, I would certainly hope you could get PC software on 3 1/2 inch disks (I don't actually know). Apple announced a PC compatible 5 1/4 inch drive last week with the new machines, but it won't be available 'til May. Also, you would probably need special software to read an MS-DOS style 3 1/2 disk since the format is different (for one thing you only get 720K instead of 800K). I don't think this is much of a problem. > Once the format conversion... As I understand the cards, no format conversion occurs. Your Mac becomes a PC clone. I've heard from Apple that you shouldn't expect to be running MS-DOS in one window and the Macintosh OS in another. > Will there be any ... software limitations? Speed and compatibility are as good as the implementation on the card, which means you can probably expect it to work as well as a good clone based on whichever processor you are using (the announced 80286 card for the Mac II will certainly be faster &c. than the 8086 card for the SE, for example). Disclaimer: The above is based on what I've heard and read about the new machines and may or may not actually reflect reality. --- Bob Heiney c60a-3eb@lemon.Berkeley.Edu
RLWALD@pucc.UUCP (03/15/87)
In article <266@steppenwolf.paul.RUTGERS.EDU>, friedman@paul.RUTGERS.EDU (Gadi ) writes: >>I just heard that there are two new controller cards available for the SE and >>the Mac II which allow them to run DOS 3.2 applications. Since I am a > ******* >>newphyte to the Mac, I have some trepidation about asking questions in this > > >I hadn't realized there still was any interest in DOS 3.2 applications. >I'd have thought all the developers have long since moved to >PRODOS (or at least DOS 3.3..) Well, actually I have been working on a serial device that would let you read in cassette tape programs and emulator the old monitor ROM. Shudder. -Rob Wald Bitnet: RLWALD@PUCC.BITNET "BLAM! BLAM!, Uucp: ...allegra!psuvax1!PUCC.BITNET!RLWALD Avon calling." Arpa: RLWALD@PUCC.Princeton.Edu "They're unfriendly,which is fortunate,really. They'd be difficult to like"-Avon "Its Sulphuric Acid, you're soaking in it" -Dark Madge
zen@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (03/15/87)
In article <2002@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU> RLWALD@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU writes: >In article <266@steppenwolf.paul.RUTGERS.EDU>, friedman@paul.RUTGERS.EDU (Gadi ) writes: > >>>I just heard that there are two new controller cards available for the SE and >>>the Mac II which allow them to run DOS 3.2 applications. Since I am a >> ******* PC DOS 3.2 I doubt that the person meant apple // dos 3.2. -- Nick Zentena UUCP: zen@utgpu BITNET: zen@utorgpu.bitnet, zen@gpu.utcs.utoronto UofT LAN: zen@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu Internet: zen@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu {utai,allegra,cbosgd,mnetor,pyramid}
rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) (03/16/87)
>>>I just heard that there are two new controller cards available for the SE and >>>the Mac II which allow them to run DOS 3.2 applications.... >>I hadn't realized there still was any interest in DOS 3.2 applications. >>I'd have thought all the developers have long since moved to >>PRODOS (or at least DOS 3.3..) > Well, actually I have been working on a serial device that would let you >read in cassette tape programs and emulator the old monitor ROM. Before this misunderstanding goes any further, the DOS 3.2 referred to in message >>> is NOT for the Apple II; it is presumably MS-DOS 3.2 for IBM PCs and compatibles. At least, this is what the new controller cards are for: PC compatibility. Mind you, with a compatible dropping below $1K for a reasonable floppy based system, I doubt there's much of a market for an emulator board at the prices I've seen. These are not Apple II emulator boards. -- Rick Keir -- one floor up from the Oyster Tank -- UWisc - Madison {allegra, ihnp4, seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!rick
fry@huma1.HARVARD.EDU (David Fry) (03/16/87)
In article <1230@uwmacc.UUCP> rick@unix.macc.wisc.edu.UUCP (Rick Keir) writes: > At least, this is what the >new controller cards are for: PC compatibility. Mind you, with a >compatible dropping below $1K for a reasonable floppy based system, >I doubt there's much of a market for an emulator board at the prices >I've seen. I've heard this complaint a lot, but I think it misses the point. The cards are mainly designed for people in offices who need to share data. Even if someone gave you a Leading Edge for free you wouldn't be any closer to using 1-2-3 files in Excel. But are the boards overpriced? Certainly. This is the Macintosh market, remember? David Fry fry@huma1.harvard.EDU Department of Mathematics fry@harvma1.bitnet Harvard University fry%huma1@harvsc4.bitnet Cambridge, MA 02138 ...!harvard!huma1!fry
oster@lapis.berkeley.edu (David Phillip Oster) (03/17/87)
Why a machine that is basically a MacPlus with one card slot that is not even accessible by an end user? Some big corporations have a rule that they will only buy IBM compatibles. Now you can throw am IBM card into your mac, get purchasing to approve it, and ever after ignore the card.