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Classic II - what 3.5 and 5.25 Apple Original floppy drives can I plug at the back?
- Thread starter foxtrot81
- Start date
Phipli
Well-known member
5.25" disks weren't really a thing on macs, very specific exceptions aside.
If you really want an external floppy drive, the only one that really makes sense is the SuperDrive / FDHD, product code G7287, or a small number of rare third party equivalents...
Except, have you considered alternatives? A SCSI CD Drive or Zip drive is more useful. CDs are particularly good for moving files from a modern computer. Another option might be to use an "AirTalk" - an adapter than plugs into a serial port and allows you to network to other retro macs over WiFi, or even with a specific, special build of the Mini vMac emulator.
Floppy disks are a little unreliable, plus while a "SuperDrive" floppy can read PC disks, they're not fully compatible with Mac files and there are complications that need to be considered. Macintosh formatted disks are hard to make on modern computers, and a necessity for booting from.
What specifically are you planning to use an external drive for? They're not actually that common to use if your machine has an internal hard disk like the Classic II does.
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cheesestraws
Well-known member
as far as I know there is only one Apple mac-compatible 5.25" drive, and it does not plug into the floppy port, nor is it compatible at all with the C II, so you are out of luck with this.
Phipli
Well-known member
(I was thinking the SE PC card, and the IIe card, neither are any use)
Mk.558
Well-known member
AFAIK they won't work because the wiring is different.
If you look at this old post of mine, then look at the 5.25" pinout shown there, it's similar, but not the same. Pin 9, 10 and 16 are different, but what's also important is how the signals are processed too. That's an in-depth thing I can't elaborate on as I'm not familiar with the various Disk II models and how the floppy controller talks to them.
The reality was that by 1988/1989 most people were on-board with 3.5" disks, and only a limited number of accessory cards came out that could drive a 5.25" floppy. The SE is known for having some aftermarket thing, and there might have been something for the Macintosh II, but yeah there's not much of a cross-over. You could say that Zip disks survived better into the 2000s because they had USB models available.
If you look at this old post of mine, then look at the 5.25" pinout shown there, it's similar, but not the same. Pin 9, 10 and 16 are different, but what's also important is how the signals are processed too. That's an in-depth thing I can't elaborate on as I'm not familiar with the various Disk II models and how the floppy controller talks to them.
The reality was that by 1988/1989 most people were on-board with 3.5" disks, and only a limited number of accessory cards came out that could drive a 5.25" floppy. The SE is known for having some aftermarket thing, and there might have been something for the Macintosh II, but yeah there's not much of a cross-over. You could say that Zip disks survived better into the 2000s because they had USB models available.
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Phipli
Well-known member
That's what we were saying?
volvo242gt
Well-known member
That thing. The PC drive.
Here's the card for it that's used in the machine shown above.
With respect to 3.5" drives, you can also use an A9M0106 or the M0130 800k drive. Both of those can be upgraded with a Sony MP-F75W 1.4MB FDHD mechanism, turning them into the rare G7287 external SuperDrive floppy drive.
I understand I couldn't install this card on a Classic II...?
Planning on having this classic on my bookshelf, so for displaying it as well. I would like to add an original floppy unit so can be shown next to it ;-)
The pictured card is for the SE, which has its own expansion slot. The Classic II was not an expandable Mac outside of attaching external SCSI / ADB devices.
Mk.558
Well-known member
Sorry if that came across wrong. I wasn't disagreeing with you, merely elaborating.
Phipli
Well-known member
An external floppy drive wouldn't normally be the sort of thing you connected to a Classic II when they were in use, are you sure you wouldn't like to get something more useful? And cheaper.
I will pair it with a StyleWriter 2500, sadly don't have the originals I or II :-(
cheesestraws
Well-known member
Agreed: if you want something historically accurate, an external floppy drive wouldn't be it. Give it a printer or perhaps an external SCSI hard disc, or both.
Phipli
Well-known member
Or a Tone Generator!
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