jonc@uts.amdahl.com (Jonathan Chang) (09/04/90)
Can someone explain how AMAX II is able to use standard Amiga drives to read/write Mac format disks? I thougt it wasn't possible since Macs use variable-speed drives. Does AMAX use a combination of software devices and libraries to do it a la Cross-DOS and MSH? or is it the AMAX board that does the magic? --- /// --- jon chang jonc@uts.amdahl.com "Three may keep a secret if two are dead." -- B.Franklin
d6b@psuecl.bitnet (09/04/90)
In article <16lq02Iwc5pn01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>, jonc@uts.amdahl.com (Jonathan Chang) writes: > Can someone explain how AMAX II is able to use standard Amiga drives > to read/write Mac format disks? > > I thougt it wasn't possible since Macs use variable-speed drives. > Does AMAX use a combination of software devices and libraries to do it > a la Cross-DOS and MSH? or is it the AMAX board that does the magic? > > > --- /// --- > jon chang jonc@uts.amdahl.com > "Three may keep a secret if two are dead." -- B.Franklin I assume that they are using a custom floppy controller. Instead of slowing down the drive (a really dumb thing to do) they simply increase the bit rate. -- Dan Babcock
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (09/07/90)
jonc@uts.amdahl.com (Jonathan Chang) writes: >Can someone explain how AMAX II is able to use standard Amiga drives >to read/write Mac format disks? >I thougt it wasn't possible since Macs use variable-speed drives. >Does AMAX use a combination of software devices and libraries to do it >a la Cross-DOS and MSH? or is it the AMAX board that does the magic? I just got Amax II. Looks pretty nice. but all I can do right now is watch the startup screen reject disks, till I get the Mac OS (on order). But what the manual says is that Amax can read/write several types of formats 1> the normal Mac format disks. You need to have a mac drive for this 2> Amax format disks. This is a special format that Amax uses on disks in the amiga drives. 3> Atari ST Magic Sac and Spectre macintosh emulator format disks on the amiga drives. 4> Partition a hard drive or put a Mac formated HD and use that. So, AMAX can't write and read standard Mac formated disks in the Amiga drives, you have to use a mac drive for that. -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (09/07/90)
Ooops, I think I just figured out what Mr Chang was talking about. You meant Amax II PLUS Amax II+ is a hardware card that plugs into your amiga 2000 and allows you to plug in your Amiga drive into it and use it as a Mac drive. It hasn't been released yet (November is the date I have been given). As to how it works, I dunno. I suspect it somehow controls the speed of the Amiga drive in some fashion. -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash