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From: wsinkees@lso.win.tue.nl (Kees Huizing)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: MS-DOS floppies on a Mac Plus (summary)
Keywords: MS-DOS, Mac, floppy, format, file exchange
Message-ID: <806@tuewsd.lso.win.tue.nl>
Date: 5 Jan 90 08:51:41 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Lines: 60

Two months ago, I asked the folowing question: is it possible to read
and write MS-DOS floppies on a Mac Plus, not necessarily the HD format (1.44Mb)?
Recently, I saw a similar question on the net, so I think I owe you a summary.
Thanks a lot for all who repsonded and those who took the time to read.

Warning: none of these are from personal experience, just second hand
information.

If you have comments or supplements, please post quickly so the least
possible harm will be done.

There are several drive solutions for the Mac:

1.  Ordinary external Apple drive, connected via the Rapport
(cable+electronics) from Kennect Technologies.  Rapport costs about $220.
(if you connect Rapport to the drive port of your Mac, the *internal* drive is
pestered to *read* MS-DOS floppies)

2.  Kennect 2.4 Drive together with Rapport (see above) lets you read/write
normal and HD MS-DOS floppies, HD Mac and 2.4Mb format exclusive to this
drive.  Costs about $550 (together).

3.  Apple 5 1/4" external drive.  Needs an extra card, so not possible in
the Plus.  Gives only 360K MS-DOS format.

4.  New Apple 3 1/4" external drive.  Works like the superdrive, so you can
read and write 800K Mac, 720K DOS and 1.44M DOS formats.  I am not sure
whether you can *format* all these types.  Some people say the hardware is not
that good.  Expensive.

5.  The PLI TurboFloppy is a SCSI device that can be added to any Mac with
a SCSI port, and it is very similar in function to a SuperDrive (though
it is not quite the same).  It can only read/write 1.44Mb MS-DOS format.
Costs about $350.

6.  DaynaFile makes drives that read IBM disks, and from what I hear the
interface is better than using a SuperDrive.  The disks come up in the
finder just like a mac disk.  An apple rep that spoke here at Penn
recommended it highly.  Old and expensive.

I know of one solution for the **PC**.

7.  Put a half card into the PC and connect an ordinary external Apple
drive.  Your PC can then read and write 800K Mac format.  See an ad in a
recent issue of Byte.

Other solutions are:

8.  a modem, a network, a 0-modem (RS232 cable between Mac and PC) and
typing :-).

With thanks to 
Darik Datta, keith@ux.acss.umn.edu, att.att.com!cbnewsc!fjo, Ingemar Ragnemalm,
Mark H. Anbinder, Matthew T. Russotto, Paul Eric Menchen, Frank WGM de Bruyn,
Marc Heijligers, Grobbins.

						Kees
-- 
Kees Huizing - Eindhoven Univ of Techn - Dept Math & Comp Sc - The Netherlands
DOMAIN: wsinkees@win.tue.nl    BITNET: wsdckeesh@heitue5    FAX: +31-40-436685