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From: sirkm@ssyx.ucsc.edu (Greg Anderson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Portable Mac vs STACY
Message-ID: <9198@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Date: 24 Sep 89 01:21:03 GMT
References: <603@carroll1.UUCP> <2122@kodak.UUCP> <5395@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
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In article <5395@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> hulse@iris.Berkeley.EDU (C.A. Hulse) writes:
>  It seems to me that Appletalk, and any other 'interface' for the Mac, runs
>from the chooser D.A.

In order to run Appletalk (the protocol), you need to be able to speak to
LocalTalk (the hardware).

>If this is the case, how hard would it be to write a 
>Desk Accessory just for the ST that would run Appletalk, perhaps via the MIDI 
>port?

A MIDI cable is not a LocalTalk cable.  (Ever try to plug a PhoneNet connector
into your Midi port?  :> )  Even if this were not the case, Midi ports
run at about 32K baud, while LocalTalk runs at 200K baud or so.

Thus, if you want LocalTalk on the ST, you'll have to use the DMA port to
drive it.  I don't think it's 'hard' as much as 'a heck of a lot of work'.
Personally, if I was going to undertake such a project, I think I would
sooner build an ethernet board for the ST.

I don't think the market will exist until Spectre GCR is available.  In
theory, that should be Real Soon Now.  In theory, anyway.
  ___\    /___               Greg Anderson              ___\    /___ 
  \   \  /   /         Social Sciences Computing        \   \  /   /
   \  /\/\  /    University of California, Santa Cruz    \  /\/\  /
    \/    \/              sirkm@ssyx.ucsc.edu             \/    \/