🚀 go-pugleaf

George,

    If your friend is just interested in transfering small files,
he may be able to simply copy the files onto a disk on one machine
and read from that disk on the other. No, the disk formats are not
identical, but if the Rainbow drives are in alignment, you can read
*and* write to a PC disk that's been formatted on the AT 1.2MB drive
as single sided (FORMAT /1). On the Rainbow side you just need to
turn MEDIACHK on before you read from the disk. Have him test it
out - it works on my machine with no problem. Only one word of
caution - don't erase files; once the disk fills up, just reformat
it on the AT. I've trashed a few disks that way.

  Alternatively, your friend could install a device driver in his
AT that will allow him to read and write RX50 (Rainbow) floppies
using a 1.2MB drive. Since I see you're on the INTERNET, you can
snatch this driver from SIMTEL20.ARPA - it's called RX50.ARC - and
the last time I looked it was in directory PD1:<MSDOS.DSKUTL>.
I've never used this, although it does get around the 170K limit
my first solution imposes.

    If your friend's doing a lot of transfers and need to write
to PC or PC/AT disks from a Rainbow he might think about investing
in an I-Drive from Suitable Solutions. This is a PC drive which
attaches to the Rainbow (as drive I) and provides true media
compatibility with a PC. There's also a version available for an AT,
if that's what's needed. I think the PC drive version goes for
around $300, and there are both internal and external models.

    There may also be a program around called Media Master
which would allow your friend to write to foreign media from the
Rainbow or a AT. Back in 1984 many different formats were supported,
most of them variations on CP/M. My only complaint about Media Master
on the Rainbow is that it only runs under CP/M; it's been almost
4 years since I last looked at that operating system.

    Hope this helps.

George

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