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Best way to transfer data to Mac SE

mike_method

Active member
Hi all, first post, apologies if its a bit noddy. I've had a look around the forums but haven't quite found the information I need but I think I can infer the answer, but here goes!

I'm in the process of acquiring a SE - the HDD works but I'm not sure about the floppy, so I'm sending the seller a DSDD floppy for him to try and format and to leave in the drive when shipping. This got me thinking how am I going to transfer disk images etc to the SE - I had hoped to be able to use OmniFlop to create usable disk images so I could transfer from my XP machine to the SE but of course Omniflop can't format Apple Mac 800k disks.

I suspect my only option, other than installing something like a SCSISD2 drive is to get another more recent Mac, one that can connect to the internet and has a superdrive that can also write DSDD disks? If so what's the best Mac to get OR is there another option I haven't considered? At this point I'm looking for easy options - thanks!
 

3lectr1cPPC

Well-known member
Welcome to the forum!
I just checked and the SE should work with the Floppy EMU, which is a modern (but pricey) device that will allow you to emulate an external floppy drive and easily transfer and load disk images. I’ve seen many people rave about how useful this is, although I haven’t used it personally. It may be a bit expensive, but it sure is easy (not to mention not having to deal with old unreliable floppy disks).
Here’s a link to the “model c”. I haven’t done research on all the different versions though.
 

mike_method

Active member
Thanks, this looks great. Deluxe version looks to be the one to go for, shame it'll work out about the same price I paid from the SE, but that's the way it goes. (y)
 

appleg33k85

Active member
Thanks, this looks great. Deluxe version looks to be the one to go for, shame it'll work out about the same price I paid from the SE, but that's the way it goes. (y)I
Something like a zip drive would work, its pretty inexpensive storage. If you plan on doing future work on the SE then you could go with a Blue SCSI or SCSI2SD and replace the old hard drive with a nice large SD card with all the storage you need.
 

mike_method

Active member
Something like a zip drive would work, its pretty inexpensive storage. If you plan on doing future work on the SE then you could go with a Blue SCSI or SCSI2SD and replace the old hard drive with a nice large SD card with all the storage you need.
This is inspired. I’ve already got a usb zip100 and loads of disks (used previously for a couple of vintage samplers) so a scsi zip100 would do the job. It’s about half the price of the floppy emu too, so that’s a bonus 👍🏻
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
Yeah, if you've already got the Zip disks and USB drive then getting a SCSI Zip drive would be a good way of going about this. Note that if you're careful about how you set it up, you can even boot from a Zip drive, so it's a really useful thing.

The Floppy Emu is a lovely piece of engineering and I rate it very highly, but it is probably overkill for a single machine.

(also, hello to another UK mac person!)
 

mike_method

Active member
Just checking used prices for scsi Zip drive on eBay and they are crazy! Looks like it be better off getting a floppy emu instead <waves back> :)
 

mg.man

Well-known member
Just checking used prices for scsi Zip drive on eBay and they are crazy!
Yep... that's because musically-inclined folks into vintage synths use them for their vintage samplers...

Further, I'm not sure a Zip drive will help on the putting stuff on it end... you mentioned moving files from your XP PC?? Do you have a modern-ish Mac you're using to download? If so, depending on *how* modern, you may not be able to attach even the USB Zip drive - making securing a SCSI one pointless... (been there, more or less given up on the Zip medium). If your "downloading" computer is a PC, options are even more limited, and Zip will only complicate matters as you'd need to format the disks for PC, not Mac.

Coming to the FloppyEMU... whether PC or Mac, the actual microSD card it uses is a "PC" format. I believe it supports FAT32 and exFAT - both of which "modern" PCs and Macs can read. You'd just need to drop the (Mac) diskette images into an appropriate folder for accessing from your SE. The FloppyEMU also has another trick up its sleeve in that it will emulate an old HD20-type hard drive (which connects to the floppy port on early Macs) so you can also put a suitable HD image on there and boot from that. Getting stuff onto that HD image is a little more involved - I typically fire up mini vMac and mount the HD image file the to move stuff from the "modern" Mac world into the vintage domain.

There's pretty good documentation about all of this on the BMOW site... HtHs and good luck!
 

mg.man

Well-known member
I suspect my only option ... is to get another more recent Mac
You might want to check this thread out over at the other place...
- Thread 'PowerMac G5 - the ultimate 68k Bridge Machine' https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/powermac-g5-the-ultimate-68k-bridge-machine.357/

If you decide to go the G5 route... I can help - I have a few that could use a new home... 😉 I also have a B&W G3 I used to use as a "bridge" - which has the advantage of an internal (ATAPI) Zip drive.
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
Using a G5 as a bridge Mac is an appallingly bad idea. You want something with floppy, proper apple serial, classic MacOS or preferably all three. If you go for a G5 you might as well use a first-gen Intel mac, which are, frankly, better. The G5 is a dire machine, and best avoided.
 

mg.man

Well-known member
The G5 is a dire machine, and best avoided.
Well... you can attach USB floppy and / or Zip... plus run a somewhat current OS X with somewhat current browser... But you're right, if you want your 'more modern' experience to be OS 9.x... it's not a bad choice. I was merely pointing out the conversation over there... :rolleyes:
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
USB floppy drives can't do GCR floppy discs, which are, I would argue, vital, in the absence of LocalTalk. You might as well be using a totally different platform by the time of the G5.
 

mg.man

Well-known member
USB floppy drives can't do GCR floppy discs
Indeed... but the OP has a SCSI Zip drive now, so I presume the medium of transfer will be that. Upon which you can put 800k 'dsk' images and mount them on the SE and / or use the SE to create physical media if so desired. There are plenty of challenges getting from 'new' world to 'old' world... not least of which is being able to use a modern-enough browser to access the on-line archives to download images, files, etc. in the first place...
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
I'd argue that using a G5 on the open Internet is actively irresponsible at this stage. That poster does seem to enjoy making his own life a misery for no clear reason, but one is not obliged to follow him in this.
 

mg.man

Well-known member
... if you want your 'more modern' experience to be OS 9.x... it's not a bad choice.
Oh well... too late to edit. I meant to say "it's [G5] a bad choice"... 🙄

The sooner you get those LT / WiFi dongle thingies productionised the better!! 😁
 

mike_method

Active member
Well... you can attach USB floppy and / or Zip... plus run a somewhat current OS X with somewhat current browser... But you're right, if you want your 'more modern' experience to be OS 9.x... it's not a bad choice. I was merely pointing out the conversation over there... :rolleyes:
Thanks pal, I’m not after a completely modern experience, if I was I wouldn’t be looking at a 68k max smh.
 

mike_method

Active member
I'd argue that using a G5 on the open Internet is actively irresponsible at this stage. That poster does seem to enjoy making his own life a misery for no clear reason, but one is not obliged to follow him in this.
What are you talking about. You know nothing about me, and how can you infer anything about me, other than I’m looking for a way to copy files to an SE. Some people!
 
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mike_method

Active member
Yep... that's because musically-inclined folks into vintage synths use them for their vintage samplers...

Further, I'm not sure a Zip drive will help on the putting stuff on it end... you mentioned moving files from your XP PC?? Do you have a modern-ish Mac you're using to download? If so, depending on *how* modern, you may not be able to attach even the USB Zip drive - making securing a SCSI one pointless... (been there, more or less given up on the Zip medium). If your "downloading" computer is a PC, options are even more limited, and Zip will only complicate matters as you'd need to format the disks for PC, not Mac.

Coming to the FloppyEMU... whether PC or Mac, the actual microSD card it uses is a "PC" format. I believe it supports FAT32 and exFAT - both of which "modern" PCs and Macs can read. You'd just need to drop the (Mac) diskette images into an appropriate folder for accessing from your SE. The FloppyEMU also has another trick up its sleeve in that it will emulate an old HD20-type hard drive (which connects to the floppy port on early Macs) so you can also put a suitable HD image on there and boot from that. Getting stuff onto that HD image is a little more involved - I typically fire up mini vMac and mount the HD image file the to move stuff from the "modern" Mac world into the vintage domain.

There's pretty good documentation about all of this on the BMOW site... HtHs and good luck!
I have an M1 Mac, intel Mini & MBP but I use an XP machine for omniflop so I can create disk images for my vintage music gear. Already have a usb Zip drive so a scsi will be useful and I could also use it for my vintage MPCs and rack samplers. As well as the SE.
 
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