Emplant Report…:(
34 messages in this thread
Emplant report:
Sure, you have read the glowing reports that others have gotten with the
Emplant. This is not one of them; if you are already converted to
Emplant, skip this message.
Finally, I was able to get through to the Utilities Unlimited BBS. They
have done a very nice job redoing it, and I had no problems getting the
files that I needed.
I loaded the files, this time onto my hard drive (it seems that earlier
problems were caused by booting off of a floppy, and despite mail from Jim
Drew that things were fixed, I was taking no chances). I removed my
OpalVision board, and installed Sybil – my second one, incidentally.
The installation went pretty well, although UU had renamed one file and
not updated the installation script for some reason. After correcting
that, everything went quite well..until I tried to run it.
I had brought home a basic System 6.0.7 disk, one of the more stable Mac
OS revs of late. The disk was really stripped down, with some basic
diagnostic tests and SCSIProbe. Just wanted to see what I could see 🙂
I started up the Emplant, and a Mac welcome screen came up. I inserted
the Mac disk…and things bombed. Said I had a defective disk…
So, I decided to use their Convert utility, and made both Amax and Emplant
format disks. Convert was mixed bag; I had to twiddle with the adjustment
pot to keep things moving, but finally got converted disks. Later, I
tried copying from df1: (source) to df0:, and did not have to twiddle with
things.
Both of these custom format disk bombed, this time on the Mac side. Gave
me an error about a defective disk and such…
Back to the drawing board. Next try: the HD floppy I've been promising
to buy for myself, and a Mac formatted SyQuest cart…
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
Jonathan,
Is it my imagination, or do most of your problems with the Emplant seem to
be floppy drive related? Have you run an alignment test on your floppy to
see just how well it is operating?
Michael,
The problem is most likely not my floppy drive, but the less than reliable
SYBIL hardware. This issue is kind of moot anyway, since I now have an
OpalVision card, and don't trust using SYBIL to basically hook my parallel port
up to my video port 🙂 Don't want them 24-bits a-smoking.
I'm going to try using a Mac-formatted SyQuest cart today. Hopefully, I should
be booting the Emplant up tonight. Assuming that this works, it'll be either
an HD Amiga floppy, or a dongle-connected Mac floppy for me…
Jonathan
Jonathan,
"Assuming that this works, it'll be either an HD Amiga floppy, or a
dongle-connected Mac floppy for me…"
I have an HD Amiga floppy in my 3000. Does this mean I wouldn't need a
Sybil? Because of your problems with Sybil I have been reluctant to get
the Emplant because how else can you install Mac programs if you don't
have a Sybil?
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
You may want to talk to UU about that. Jim Drew was working on the
ability to read Mac disks, but I don't know if that was without Sybil. Earlier
versions of the Emplant software could only read a Mac drive through Sybil.
Later Jim incorporated both read and write through Sybil. However, an
alternative is to use an Amax equipped Amiga to read the Mac disks and copy
them to an Amax formatted floppy which Emplant can read via the Amiga drive
without the need for Sybil.
I guess you are right. I could probably get my questions answered by just
calling UU. Just thought I'd check here first for impressions and
information.
Now if only someone would sell me some Mac roms.
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
You don't really need the Mac ROMs for Emplant. The software supplied
includes a utility called ROMINFO, which is a Mac program. You need to
transfer that program from the Amiga disk to a Mac-formatted disk. When you
run ROMINFO on a Mac II, IIx, or IIcx it will produce an image file of the ROM.
Then you transfer that image file to an Amiga disk and place it in a directory
on the hard drive on your Amiga. When you run the Emplant software you then
use the setup to select the ROM image. Emplant doesn't need the ROMs to work,
although there are sockets on the board for the ROMs if you have them.
Hey Steve,remember that dump should ONLY come from your legitimately owned Mac.
Ben Leigh's Computers
Ben,
Well, of course. Didn't I say that? Mine came from a legitimately
owned Mac. (I don't recall who the legitimate owner was!) And if you repeat
this I will lose the tapes!!
Emplant works with the high density floppy for Mac High density disks, no
problems (I installed 7.1 this way). Sybil is ONLY needed for 800K Mac disks.
Ben Leigh's Computers
That sounds good if the Emplant works with my Amiga High density drive.
Unfortunately, plenty of my Mac software only comes on lo-density disks.
MYOB, Square One, Star Trek screen saver and a few others. I have not
been able to install them on Amax II+ because they don't follow standard
Mac installation routines according to Randy at Readysoft.
So it sounds like I would need Sybil for the Mac programs that come on
800K disks. That makes me ask the question, is Sybil trusty? According
to Jonathan here on CIS, who is apparantely the only one with a Sybil, the
device is not very good.
\*donovan*\
You know, if you already have an Amax why not just transfer them to an Amax
disk from thier Mac versions. It'll save you from Sybil.
Ben, Leigh's Computers
Not only do I have a problem installing the programs I mentioned earlier
but I cannot disk copy or file copy them. Randy at Readysoft says that
the programs use a non-standard Mac installation routine as well as some
type of protection scheme which prevents copying the disk and its files.
This may be a cop-out on his part but the fact remains that I cannot
install, disk copy, or copy files from certain original 800K Mac disks
that I bought.
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
I have found that some certain 800K floppies can't be read with AMAX in a
DD drive simply because they were formatted and copied to using a HD drive
and System 7. Something in the MAC's SYS 7 OS, does makes it difficult (if
next to impossible) for the 800K drives to read these. I know of owners of
real MACs with older double-density drives that can't read mac 800K disks
that have been formatted on real macs with the superdrive and system 7.
Try taking the disks in question and your external DD drive to a real mac,
format a disk in the external drive and then drag copy the problem disk
from the HD drive onto the external floppy's icon. This is what I've had
to do many times, until now. I have a MAC II cx with a Superdrive and I
can fix my own disks, finally! (phew!) If you can't do this, I'd be happy
to try and experiment with it for you. Let me know.
Chris
"Try taking the disks in question and your external DD drive to a real
mac"
I have an Amax II+ so I don't have a MAC external DD drive.
I appreciate your offer but would like to seek out a better solution. I
wish that solution was like yours. I want a real MAC!
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
Then since you haven't an external drive, I suggest you find someone who
does, and recopy the disks in question using a double density drive to do
it. That is my solution. It worked for me. Funny thing though, I can do
better file transfers from Amiga to MAC using AMAX than I can do using
PCAccess and this IIcx transferring to & from MSDOS disks. It is nice
having both platforms available.
Chris
Make sure you've sent in the warranty for the programs, then call up the
company and demand uncopyprotected versions (some Mac copy protection schemes
don't even work on all macs), just tell 'em that your "Mac" (don't mention it's
an emulator) HATES thier disks, and if they cannot provide you with a working
version ask for your money back.
Ben, Leigh's Computers
Can I do that? I guess I can. I'll try calling the companies for
replacement, non-copyprotected disks.
Thanks for the idea.
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
You would not *need* a Sybil, although you could only read 1.44 meg disks.
Of course, with the majority of Macs out there now having SuperDrives,
this might not be a real problem.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
How many of your original Mac disks come on 1.44? Almost all of mine come
on 800K disks. That is why I would need a Sybil. Doesn't UU realize that
most Mac software still comes on 800K disks? If they can make an Amiga
High Density drive read a 1.44 meg Mac disk why can't they also make it
read an 800K disk? If they did I would buy Emplant tomorrow.
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
The only software that I'm interested in using is probably either
available or convertable to 1.44 disks. Copy protected games are not much
of a concern.
However…I think that UU really needs to do something about the floppy
situation. Without one, the product is not viable IMO.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
"Without one, the product is not viable IMO."
I fully agree.
\*donovan*\
Donovan,
If I'm not mistaken, the drives for the Emplant should work just like MAC,
AMIGA or PC. That is, if you have a high density drive (like the one for the
Amiga), it should read and write to lower density floppies. Even the Emplant
emulation should do that. It sounds to me like you need to buy an Amiga HD
floppy and you'll be on your way!
Matt
Matt,
Emplant will not read/write Mac 800K floppies without the Sybil
hardware. As I understand only HD floppies can be read/written without Sybil
on the Emplant. Amax WILL read/write both formats using the Amiga drives.
I do have an Amiga HD floppy drive. According to Ben the Emplant will use
my HD drive properly only with Mac HD disks. Not Mac 800K disks.
\*donovan*\
Donovan:
If you have either AMax formatted 800K disks, or an external Mac drive
along with either an AMax cartridge, or some sort of HW hack (and
hopefully soon the Mac2Dos cartridge) you will be able to read 800K disks,
In the first case, you'll be reading a specially formatted disk, in the
second case, you'll be using a real Mac drive (or clone of one) to
read/write 800K. I have a Mac drive, but no cartridge, so currently a
friend of mine who has an Emplant & AMax cartridge. Once they come out
with their support for the Mac2Dos cartridge, I'll get back my drive, and
use it to read/write 800K Mac disks.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
I haven't heard about the Mac2Dos cartridge. Is this by UU? Are you
saying that I can use my HD drive in my 3000 to read 1.44M Mac disks. And
use a Mac2Dos + Mac 800K drive to read 800K Mac disks with Emplant? Is
this going to be UU's solution for floppy support?
\*donovan*\
Donovan:
Well, it's not their ONLY solution, but it is going to be ONE of their
solutions. (It isn't quite done yet). The 3 other options that are
available now are 1. Sybil, their software solution (it might have
hardware also, I'm not sure). 2. A real Mac drive hooked to an Amax
cartridge, and 3. a real Mac drive hooked to the Amiga via a cheap
hardware hack that's supposedly easy to build. Those 3 along with the
first method (Mac2Dos cartridge) when it's done should fairly well cover
all the bases for 800K support. Yes, AMaxII+ does allow you to use your
internal Amiga drive, but then their implementation isn't flawless either,
I had LOTS of trouble reading disks with my AMaxII+/Amiga setup.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Matt,
You are mistaken. The Mac 800k drives use a variable speed method, which
no Amiga drives can handle. The Amiga HD drive can switch between two
modes only.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
Jonathan,
I can read, write, and format Mac 1.4M disks on my Amiga HD floppy drive
using the Amax II Plus card. I understand it simulates the variable speed
of the Mac by turning the motor on and off VERY rapidly. (hate to think
what that does to the drive in the long term!)
Pete Jones, flying on AutoPilot from Brussels, Belgium
The emplant folks have claimed that ReadySoft's method of floppy
access has caused smoked drives on some machines, although I think
that they are crying sour grapes. However, within the context of
Emplant, an HD drive only gets you HD floppy access.
Well, let us know how it goes.
Jonathan,
I use the AMAX+ in my 2000 w/6.0.7. I have _never_ been able to
read a Mac disk from a Quadra 950, nor has it been able to read one
of my disks. However, AMax seems to be friendly to a CX, CI, and an
LS. Just remembered, tried my disks on a Quadra 800, and that worked
fine, too. -Steve
For those interested… I have a MAC and an AMAX formatted Syquest cartridge.
Both work fine with my emplant. To make tranferring files easy, I installed
AccessPC in both my Emplanted Amiga and my MAC at work. Files transfered to
the PC disk are able to be read by both machines. I also have a TEAC tape
backup unit in which I use Retrospect to transfer files from work to home via
tape.
To get started, I used a System 7.01 AMAX partition. The hard part is getting
started, but fortunately for me, I already had an AMAX partition ready to go,
so my system booted after only 5 minutes of configuration. My suggestion to
others is if possible, get a System 7 formatted and installed AMAX partition
for the Emplant and after that, everything else should be easier.
-Jonathan