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Mac Plus, ZIP, "other computer", ZIP, file transfer

S

SBL

6502
I may try to download software on a slightly more modern Mac than my Plus that

a) has ethernet and can surf the web (slow is OK) and

b) can still write to a ZIP disk that my Mac plus with a SCSI ZIP drive can read (OK to have two ZIP drives). 

This "other" computer, though. What would it be? I see that a G3 M3979 has a SCSI port and ethernet. Would that work? I worry that the more advanced OS, though, would not write to its ZIP in the correct format.

steve

 
So long as the ZIP cartridge is formatted in HFS not HFS+ (“MacOS” not “MacOS Extended”) you should be fine. The easy way to make sure of this is just to format the ZIP cartridge on the Plus. A ZIP drive is a very sensible way to do this and is one of the ways I do it myself :-)  

 
So if the disk is formatted in HFS by the Mac Plus, it can be written to by a more modern Mac that normally writes to HFS+ ? That seems worrisome. What exactly are the 2 Macs that you sneaker walk between?

steve

 
Well, all classic versions of MacOS can write to HFS just fine. When you format a volume you have the option of doing so in HFS+ but it was never compulsory to use HFS+. It’s just that by formatting it on the Plus you eliminate the choice :-) .

I use a PowerBook 1400 and several different b&w macs. 

 
AppleTalk does not work between the old classics and the somewhat newer ones. I have read contorted ways of doing it, but every treatise that I read has a bunch of programs that are needed, no real instruction set, and slight-of-hand to make it work.

Cheesestraws, so, your 1400 had ethernet? They supposedly did not come that way, but did have slots for a card.

 
My point is, if your “modern” Mac is a G3 with SCSI, then it most certainly has serial ports with LocalTalk capability.

 
AppleTalk, LocalTalk not compatible, as far as I can find. Looking through this forum and the web, there is no easy way. But, maybe I missed the recipe.

 
No trust me that will work no matter what. From a Mac 128k to a G3 desktop or tower with serial ports up to OS 9, you can network with AppleTalk and serial cables.

You can do the Zip disk as well, but it sounds to me like the network might be a bit easier in this case.

 
Getting AppleTalk connectivity up and running is straightforward; getting AppleShare running can be slightly trickier.  That said, if you just use the built in file sharing in the OS, it probably ought to work.

Try just stringing a normal cross-wired serial cable between the two printer ports of the machines, turning AppleTalk on and using the LocalTalk port, and turn file sharing on on one of the Macs and see if it comes up in the Chooser of the other?

(I think there is some terminological confusion going on here: LocalTalk is the physical/data link layer, like "Ethernet"; AppleTalk is the layer 2ish protocol over the top (like "IP"); AFP is an application-layer protocol, implemented by AppleShare, that can run over AppleTalk.  It is AFP protocol versions that get questionable sometimes.  Any one of these things can break independently of any of the others and ruin your day, because software is great)

 
cheesestraws said:
Try just stringing a normal cross-wired serial cable between the two printer ports of the machines, turning AppleTalk on and using the LocalTalk port, and turn file sharing on on one of the Macs and see if it comes up in the Chooser of the other?
Click to expand...
Yep, to clarify, a Mac printer cable is that cross-wired (AKA null-modem) cable. That's what you need as opposed to a straight thru Mac serial cable.

I've always hated networking and used floppy disks at first to transfer files from workstation to plotter server, keeping working files backed up on said floppy for the duration of the job. Zip disks for transfer/temporary backup was a natural evolution for me. As the oldest Mac in my collection is a Plus, external SCSI Zip Drives, IDE internals and USB externals make things very simple for me, Mac to Mac generations and cross platform.

 
 
Thanks.

On another note, I may have found an intermediate Mac (powerbook G3) that has serial port ands SCSI port. I did notice that the serial port has 9 pins, but my Mac Plus has 8 pins. The 8 pin will plug into the 9 pin socket, based on what I see and have read. I assume that file transfer can still occur without that 9th pin. Correct?

 
OK, I have made some progress. Picked up a PowerBook G3 (wallstreet), with OS 8.6. My Mac Plus has System 6.0.8. 

I have plugged the serial cable between the 2 computers, booted them up, and turned AppleTalk on for both in the choosers. And I turned File Sharing on on the PowerBook. However, neither computer sees the other. I noticed that in the Chooser of the Plus, that AppleShare is not shown as something to pick (just 2 printers) Yet, in the Systems folder there is a file called AppleShare. When I click on it the box says that it is busy or missing. I suspect that there are a few things that I am doing wrong. I was wondering if I have to use System 7 to do this, or not. I hope not. Tired of paying for disks sent to the house! Independently, both computers seem to be working fine.

 
On the G3, check the AppleTalk control panel and see that “Printer Port” is selected. By the way, you did use the Printer ports and NOT the Modem ports to connect the cable, right?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
On the G3, under Control Panels>AppleTalk, there are only 4 choices: Ethernet, Infared, Modem/Printer, Remote Only.

There is no way to specifically select Modem, or, Printer. Is just Modem/Printer as a single option.

steve

 
Ah yes, as the PowerBook has the single port. That’s what you want. And the cable runs to the Mac Plus’ Printer port? 

 
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