Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!gabe
From: gabe@ctr.columbia.edu (Gabe Wiener)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Using a protable with a Mac
Keywords: Portables, Mac
Message-ID: <1990Sep23.032119.1767@ctr.columbia.edu>
Date: 23 Sep 90 03:21:19 GMT
References: <1990Sep22.161616.23028@zip.eecs.umich.edu>
Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecommunications Research
Lines: 28

In article <1990Sep22.161616.23028@zip.eecs.umich.edu> arie@dip.eecs.umich.edu (Arie Covrigaru) writes:
>What are the most common portable that do that and what is the
>common procedure (software as well as hardware) that lets the
>portable and the Mac exchange data?

This is a tough question that has been plaguing mac owners for years.

Exchanging data is technically no problem.  It's a snap to get two computers
to "talk to each other" and spit ascii back and forth.  The problem occurs
when you try to get formatting info to transfer back and forth.  That problem
has been abated somewhat in recent years by a program called LapLink Mac, 
which can read files from MS Dos laptops and convert the formatting info into
MacWrite or MS Word format.  

Therefore, if you're looking for something to tap text into and then shoot
it over into the mac, any <gasp> MS DOS laptop should do.  If I had to buy
one now, I'd probably look at the NEC UltraLite.  It's about $1,600, is
ridiculously small, has a 2 meg digital hard drive, and a built-in modem.
More than enough for transferring data to the mac, and great for checking
into the net while on the road! :-)

Of course, any MS-DOS laptop will work OK.

-- 
Gabe Wiener - Columbia Univ.     "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings 
gabe@ctr.columbia.edu             to be seriously considered as a means of 
gmw1@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu       communication. The device is inherently of
72355.1226@compuserve.com         no value to us."  -Western Union memo, 1877