Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!SNYBUFVA.BITNET!WAXMONRW From: WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA.BITNET Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: MS-DOS Message-ID: Date: 31 Jan 91 02:47:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 32 Gregory Haverkamp said: >In regards to the response that the PCT only uses a pseduo MSDOS on a GS >3.5, it should be mentioned that this only correct under certain >conditions. >When the GS 3.5" drive is connected directly to the floppy cable from >the PCT, it actually will read and write "real" MSDOS. Well, real >enough that I could write programs on my GS at home and take them to a >friends MSDOS machine, stick them in, and operate from them. By the >same token, it will also read 3.5" disks formatted and operated >originally in a true MSDOS machine. As I have said recently, sometimes you can read the msdos disk written to by the PCT on an MSDOS machine, and sometimes (most times) you cannot. Thee is no consitancy as to what msdos machine will read the disk and which will not. As for "real" MSDOS, I do not know what you mean. All IBM compatibles are "real" msdos machines. The actual DOS used on the machine can vary, depending on what was supplied with the machine or what te user substituted for the orginally supplied DOS. The "best" (most reliable) DOS to use on the PCT is IBM's PC DOS, version 3.3. I have even been able to successfully use a shareware DOS (4-DOS); I have not, however, been able to use Zenith's DOS on my PCT. There have been many discussions of the various types of DOS and their compatibility with the PCT on the PCT forum on GENIE. Those discussions support my observations presented above. Just to be sure you understand, I am talking about connectig the 3.5 disk directly to the PCT's cable connector, not through the Smartport. To tell you the truth, I was not aware that you could write an msdos file to a 3.5 drive which is connected to the Smartport. Ray Waxmonksy (waxmonrw@snybufva) Bitnet, of course.