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From: keeshu@nikhefk.UUCP (Kees Huyser)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: IBM/Apple disk interchange?
Message-ID: <101@nikhefk.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Jan-87 19:57:59 EST
Article-I.D.: nikhefk.101
Posted: Thu Jan  1 19:57:59 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Jan-87 02:38:00 EST
References: <861231230522.075758@DOCKMASTER.ARPA>
Reply-To: keeshu@nikhefk.UUCP (Kees Huyser)
Organization: National Institute for Nuclear Physics; Netherlands
Lines: 35

In article <861231230522.075758@DOCKMASTER.ARPA> TMPLee@dockmaster.arpa writes:
>Does anyone know of any software that would run on an Apple II and allow
>it to read and/or write IBM PC format (5.25") disks (with a regular
>Apple drive) or which would run on an IBM PC and allow it to read and/or
>write Apple-formatted disks?  (I'm talking about software, not a
>hardware card, for instance.)  (either Apple DOS or ProDOS format) Seems
>like it ought to be possible on the Apple since the Apple drive is
>driven at a very low-level by the 6502.
>

I'm afraid you're out of luck; no such program exists, nor for the Apple, nor 
for the IBM-PC. The problem is that the Apple and the IBM diskcontrollers use
a different encoding scheme to read/write. As you probably are aware the Apple 
has no 'diskcontroller', whereas the IBM has. Apple diskdrives use a clever
'software controller', hidden in DOS. The Woz thought up this scheme to avoid
using a lot of chips when he implemented the first version of DOS.
Since IBM *does* use a controller chip, and one with a different encoding 
scheme, it is not possible for Apple's to read IBM formatted disks (because DOS
doesn't know about *that* encoding scheme), nor is it possible for IBM's to
read Apple disks (because DOS uses a proprietary scheme).

The only solution is to buy a hardware card which will read Apple disks in an
IBM-PC. There are various manufacturers who produce them.

Another -cheaper- solution is to connect the Apple and the IBM with an RS232C
cable, and use a communication program to transfer whatever it is you want to
transfer.

-- Kees

|  Kees Huyser 
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