Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!decvax!dartvax!merchant From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Mac SE running IBM Message-ID: <6606@dartvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 6-Jul-87 10:18:05 EDT Article-I.D.: dartvax.6606 Posted: Mon Jul 6 10:18:05 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jul-87 00:38:56 EDT References: <1548@megatest.UUCP> <1202@apple.UUCP> <2021@sphinx.uchicago.edu> Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Lines: 33 Summary: It's nbot really a PC... In article <2021@sphinx.uchicago.edu>, cjdb@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Charles Blair) writes: > Question: What version of DOS do these cards run? Does MS-DOS in the > above really mean MS-DOS, or PC-DOS? Is Apple or AST licensing DOS? > What are the limitations? How well-behaved does the PC program have to > be? I mean, I find it hard to believe that I could fire up Crosstalk > XVI and have it run on an SE or Mac II. Is the main usefulness of > these things to exchange files between PC's and Mac's? > > I think these products lend an extra attractiveness to SE's and Mac > II's, but unless they have things on them besides the CPU (like the > UART, for example) I can't see them just running any PC software > without a hitch. They don't. The cards have an 8086 (or 80286) processor. I believe they convert the Macintosh modem and printer ports to COM1: or COM2:. Thus, any program that specificially plays with the serial controller chip on the IBM PC, such as CrossTalk, will not run on the Mac. The solution, of course, is to use SmartCom. :^) I think that the main usefulness is to get them through the doors of companies that already have an MS-DOS standard. Also, I suppose, it would allow you to use various PC programs as well as Macintosh programs. For example, I have yet to see an equivalent of MathCAD for the Macintosh (let me know if you know of one), so I can use MathCAD and take information from there and paste it into WriteNow or Word or whatever turns me on. Of course, the price is such that it's almost cheaper for me to go out and buy a 80286 clone than it is to buy one of these 80286 cards. -- "It don't mean nothin'..." Peter Merchant (merchant@dartvax.UUCP)