Fortunately, there is a better alternative: the Apple SuperDrive. As a floppy diskette drive that is compatible with both Macintosh and DOS-formatted diskettes, the SuperDrive may be the most viable way to transfer data in multiplatform environments. (Floppy diskettes are removable storage media that can be inserted into diskette drives. Diskette drives write data to, and read it from, those diskettes. DOS, or disk operating system, is software for IBM-compatible computers that translates users' typed commands and allows application programs to interact with the computer's hardware.)

Since August of 1989, almost all Macintosh systems have been equipped with a SuperDrive that can read and write to 3.5-inch DOS-formatted diskettes. However, for those systems that didn't come equipped with a SuperDrive, Apple offers an external standalone SuperDrive for $329.

The external SuperDrive unit plugs directly into the diskette drive port on the back panel of most Macintosh systems. (A port is a receptacle that allows users to connect devices to their computers.) On Apple II systems, the SuperDrive plugs into the connector in the back of the controller card, which is a device upon which other devices rely for access to a computer subsystem. A disk controller, for example, controls access to one or more diskette drives.

Other than the physical location of an external vs. internal SuperDrive, both models have identical features.

Both SuperDrive models, for example, use high-density, double-sided 3.5-inch diskettes and feature a high-density diskette detector that allows the drive to automatically format to the correct diskette capacity. (Density is a measure of the amount of data that can be stored per square inch on the diskette. Density is commonly used to refer to different types of diskettes; high-density diskettes store more information than their counterparts, single- and low-density diskettes. Double-sided diskettes can store data on both sides of the diskette, whereas single-sided diskettes can store data on only one side. Formatting a diskette organizes the areas where data is stored.)

Software Utilities

While SuperDrive's features help make DOS-to-Macintosh file exchange easier, they can't do it all on their own. In fact, equipping Macintosh and Apple II systems with SuperDrive is only the first dose of multiplatform aspirin that users need to eliminate those file transfer headaches. To fully complete the transfer of information, users also need software.

Apple has two such software utilities, the Apple File Exchange and Macintosh PC Exchange. Apple File Exchange is a program that is included with the Macintosh system. It uses separate files known as translators to convert data between different file formats. These translators tell Apple File Exchange how the data is organized. The problem with Apple File Exchange is that it includes only one translator, so you may need to add more translators by purchasing them from other software companies.

Macintosh PC Exchange, on the other hand, is utility software that allows Macintosh users to open, save, rename, move, copy, and delete files from an IBM-compatible computer to a Macintosh system. (IBM computers are sometimes referred to as PCs. This is because the original IBM desktop machine was called the PC, for personal computer.)

With such abilities, users can exchange information with co-workers or clients who use Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS and Microsoft's Microsoft Windows. In fact, Macintosh PC Exchange is compatible with all Macintosh applications and many of the leading MS-DOS and Windows programs like Lotus Development Corp.'s Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect Corp.'s WordPerfect, and Microsoft's Microsoft Word. Additionally, the software can be used to transfer files from Macintosh systems to PCs.

To run Macintosh PC Exchange, users must have at least three megabytes of random-access memory (RAM, the computer's volatile memory), a hard disk drive, and an Apple SuperDrive or compatible floppy diskette drive. In addition, the Macintosh must also have System 7 or later. (A megabyte [MB] is a unit of computer memory or storage equivalent to approximately one million bytes. A byte is the amount of storage needed to hold one character such as the letter A or the number 5. System 7 is the operating system, or foundation software, that Macintosh systems use; like DOS, System 7 translates users' typed commands and interacts with the computer's hardware.)

Equipping your Apple computer with SuperDrive and a software utility like Macintosh PC Exchange can take away the hassles of file transfer in a multiplatform environment. With these additions to your system, cross-platform file exchange can be a cinch . . . SuperDrive to the rescue!

by Dana Lieske

Apple SuperDrive
Price: $329
Macintosh PC Exchange
Price: $79
Apple Computer Inc.
20525 Mariani Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(800) 776-2333